10 Leisurely Days
by Blue Ten
Summary: Robin finds out that Starfire will be leaving for Tamaran in 10 days. Keeping his discovery a secret, he has a little over a week to give her a reason to stay. But when things keep getting in the way, will he even get the chance? RobStar, BBRae FINISHED!
1. Day 1, Part 1: If I Gave You a Reason

**10 Leisurely Days**

by Blue Ten

**Summary:**

Robin finds out that Starfire will be leaving for Tamaran in 10 days. Keeping his discovery a secret, he has a little over a week to give her a reason to stay. But when things keep getting in the way, will he even get the chance? RobinxStarfire

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Teen Titans.

* * *

Day 1, Part One: If I Gave You a Reason

The ocean, churning and tempestuous, was afflicted by a storm of immense proportions. Without a single aperture for sunlight, the sky was dark and overcast with black and gray thunder heads, heavy with precipitation; the downpour seemed to plummet incessantly from them without end, accompanied by the ever-present cacophony of thunder and lightning. Enormous waves gathered beyond the horizon; with remarkable velocity, they rolled across the sea, crashing violently into a small rocky island. On said isle, a tower stood alone in the squall, unaffected by the constant battering of the torrent, situated like a beacon of hope, an unwavering guardian set to brave the tempest for the city it so valiantly protected. The building's unique 'T' shape, was the signature of those who lived within. This was Titans' Tower, home to the five heroes the world has come to know as the Teen Titans.

Every team needs a leader, and the Titans have quite an exceptional one, to say the least. His focus and determination has lead them to victory through countless battles and hardships. His unflinching courage and bravery, were complementary to his strength, which for a simple human, was incredible and nigh unmatched. And, in a good leader's fashion, he was always willing to go several nights without sleep, just to get a lead on any crime that happened to slip through the Titans' shield... always. This stormy morning, Robin had passed out in the Crime Lab after a long night studying a strain of peculiar bank robberies the Jump City Chronicle had dubbed, 'The Invisible Burglaries'. The whole series of crimes was very perplexing and bizarre, hundreds of thousands of dollars from several banks, gone without a single witness or scrap of evidence. A sudden thunderclap roared, waking Robin from his stress induced slumber; as he sat up quickly from his desk, he noticed his vision was obstructed by a blurry off-white object. Reaching a hand to his masked face, he peeled away the newspaper that had become adhered by his sweat, when he fell asleep on it. Examining the front page of the Chronicle, he was immediately reminded of the reason he was so stressed, by several excruciatingly bold words, 'Invisible Burglars Strike Again, Police and Titans Baffled'. Groaning, he felt like crumpling it, but instead, set the paper down on the table as he stood up, massaging a headache away with his free hand.

Leaving the Crime Lab and making his way down the hall, Robin opened the door to the bathroom, walking in with an exhausted wobble to his step. Looking groggily into the mirror, he saw that the word 'Invisible' had been printed backwards on his face, of course in the mirror it could be read clearly. Robin shook his head and turned on the sink. "Uh, I've gotta start sleeping in my room..." he groaned to himself as he attempted to wash away the newsprint from his cheek.

After a quick shower, Robin decided to venture to his room, planning to use the last few hours of the morning to rest. Oddly enough, his room, out of all the others in the entire tower, was where he spent the least time. Continuing down the hall, he glanced quickly at a door, on which was printed the name 'Starfire'. This was the room of someone he considered to be his... best friend, a girl who had literally dropped down from the heavens. Ever since that day when they first met, she had graced his life with her unrivaled beauty, charming naiveté, and charismatic attitude towards life. Of course, she joined the Titans mostly because of her extraordinary strength and supernatural powers, which Robin greatly respected. Snapping back to reality, Robin found that his head had drifted to the side as he unknowingly stared at her door, and his eyes had become partly closed in a dreamy sort of manner; he couldn't decide whether he was simply tired, or daydreaming. Shaking his head, he called himself a dork and proceeded to walk to his room until he heard voices coming from Starfire's door. Now, normally he wouldn't stoop to eavesdropping on his friends, but it was really early in the morning, and he wondered who she could be talking to. Robin stepped closer to the door.

"Then I shall return in ten days?" he heard Starfire ask.

"Yes, but such news would no doubt disappoint your friends, so it would be best to keep it from them for the time being." Robin heard a familiar voice, but he couldn't quite attach a name to it. The man was speaking over a communicator of some sort, audible static hindering his speech.

"If you say so... Are you certain it must be this way?" Starfire sounded a little sad.

"Such are the ways of our people, even as Grand Ruler I have no say in it." Robin now realized who this person was; Galfore, Starfire's guardian and the new Grand Ruler of her home planet, Tamaran.

"I understand. Shall my friends escort me home?"

"Oh, there is no need, we will provide transportation for you, when the time comes."

Robin pulled away from the door, still trying to contemplate what he had just heard. Starfire was going to leave? His heart sank into his stomach when he came to the assumption that her time on earth, whatever reason she had to visit in the first place, must have expired. Now she would return home, for good. Robin didn't know what to do, he felt like rushing in and begging her to stay, but he realized creating a scene like that would probably make her _want _to leave. _'Does she even want to leave?'_ Robin thought, it seemed so unfair that the ways of her people would force her to leave behind her friends; but then again, who was he to judge her people? He knew he had to think of something, but he didn't quite understand why he felt so inclined to do so, _'Maybe I...'_

Suddenly, the door slid open, and Starfire stood in the entrance looking puzzled at Robin, "Robin?" she questioned, in her normal tone of voice, looking at him with her captivating emerald eyes.

Robin's breath was immediately caught in his throat as he strained to form words, "Um... I was just... Er." he tried to speak, making strange nonsensical motions with his hands. Before Robin could come up with an excuse for standing outside her door, a thunderclap took away the lights; without windows, the hall became nearly pitch black.

"Eep!" Starfire jumped behind Robin, clutching his shoulders. Robin was relieved that the attention had been turned away from him, also glad that Starfire had decided to hide behind him for protection.

"...I was gonna tell you that the power could go out, yeah." he said awkwardly, _'That's convincing right?' _he asked himself, thankful that Starfire couldn't see the flustered expression on his face.

"I find it strange that this electric storm, causes the electricity to disappear." she stated cutely, still clinging on to him.

"C'mon, I guess we should wait for the others in the living room." Robin chuckled, almost forgetting about what he had heard outside of her room. He found that she always had this affect on him; no matter what he was doing, no matter how focused he was on other things, a few simple words from her, shifted that focus. Even now, he didn't realize that he had begun walking blindly through the halls, as his attention remained on Starfire's hands, which tightly grasped his shoulders. Robin's boot tapped against a wall, snapping him out of his trance, "Hey Star, could you give me a little light here?" he asked.

"Oh, of course." Starfire said, sounding a little embarrassed. Much to Robin's dismay, she lifted a hand from his shoulder, illuminating the hallways with the radiant green light of her starbolt.

"Thanks, that's much better." Robin said, as he turned away from the wall he had almost planted his face into. Robin discovered that he was walking slowly through the hall as they progressed, he wondered what in the world he was doing, as there was really no apparent reason to be cautious; he thought that, perhaps subconsciously, he was trying to buy time with her. Robin was surprised to see that Starfire had not let go, even in the light; every crack of thunder caused her to huddle closer. He wondered if maybe she was trying to buy time as well... but that was a ridiculous thing to think, wasn't it?

The sounds of the raging storm resonated eerily through the hallway as Robin and Starfire turned the corner to the common room; thunder and wind seemed to angrily shake the tower as if in an attempt break through the walls, and the unremitting lightning sparked the hall with constant silver flashes. Sizeable droplets of rain could be heard tapping rapidly against the large window in the main room. As they walked from the hallway, Starfire brightened her light.

"Friends? Are you here?" she asked quietly. However bright the light was, it failed to illuminate the entire room, leaving the corners, and various outer reaches, darkened. No light was offered from outside the window either, the cloud cover turned the early morning into a near pitch dark night.

"'Bout time you guys got here. You get lost or something?" Cyborg said, standing up from the couch, his red cybernetic eye revealing his position in the dark.

"Cyborg? Where are the others?" Robin asked, as Starfire focused her light on Cyborg. A green racoon stepped out from behind the couch, morphing into a human, it revealed itself to be Beast Boy.

"I'm right here. It's a lot easier to see in the dark when you're nocturnal." Beast Boy laughed, "Raven is... somewhere. She kinda blends right in to the dark." he continued, jokingly.

"Not funny." The monotone voice of a young girl spoke ominously from some unknown location.

"Seriously, you're kinda creepin' me out." Beast Boy said, looking around himself frantically.

"Don't worry about the lights," Cyborg raised an eyebrow in Robin's direction, drawing attention to Starfire, who still huddled closely to him; Robin paid it no mind, "The back up generators should kick in any minute now." Cyborg said, looking at a clock on his arm and waiting for a moment, "...Any minute now."

"Cyborg, I think--" Beast Boy started.

"Any minute now..." Cyborg put an index finger up, silencing Beast Boy. After waiting several minutes, everyone sighed.

"So, who's gonna go check on the generator?" Robin asked.

"Not me." Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Raven answered in unison. Starfire stayed silent, knowing that the generator was located in her least favorite place in the entire tower, the basement; the darkness made it even less inviting.

"...I guess I'll go." Robin gave up, making his way to the basement.

"I shall come with you." Starfire began following after him.

"Star, you don't have to--" Robin started, knowing full well that the basement wasn't exactly her favorite room.

"Nonsense, you need the light. And since Cyborg is too afraid to--" Starfire was interrupted by Cyborg; however, she did not mean to insult him, she honestly thought he was afraid, with the way he so speedily declined.

"I am NOT afraid! I just... don't wanna." Fuming, Cyborg slumped down on the couch.

- - - - - -

The long stairwell to the basement creaked and seemed to wobble with every step they took. At the bottom floor of the tower, the sound of the storm was muffled, but still unsettlingly present. Droplets of water fell from the high ceiling, splashing invariably into what sounded like large puddles on the floor. As he reached the bottom of the stairs with Starfire behind him lighting the way, Robin discovered that there were more than puddles in the basement; the entire room was flooded, up to the fifth step on the stairs. Hearing a strange sparking noise, Robin came to a quick stop; however the step was wet and slippery, causing Robin to tilt forward.

"Whoa!" Robin yelled, trying to regain his balance; but it was no use, he was about to fall in the water, which he was almost sure was...

Starfire wrapped an arm around and caught Robin, "Robin? Why have we stopped?" she asked, setting him upright on the stairs again.

"Star... You may have just saved my life." Robin said, catching his breath. If Starfire hadn't been there, he would have fallen and electrocuted himself. He realized that in ten days, he would be falling into the metaphorical electrified pool, for the rest of his life, with no one to catch him. Quickly, he shook the thought from his mind, trying to focus on the task at hand, as the color returned to his face.

Starfire examined the basement, seeing the flooded floor. She listened closely to the noise coming from the back of the room, something was splashing in the water, making the sound of exposed wires on metal. Starfire gasped, "The water, it is--Robin are you unharmed?" she asked worriedly.

"Thanks to you." Robin said, trying to smile, but the thought hadn't left his mind, the thought had never left his mind. "We have to drain this water, but the emergency drainage valve is on the other side of the room." Robin pointed to the far wall, there he could see that a wire had become disconnected from the generator, flailing wildly and striking the water, releasing white sparks. Visible with each flash of white light, the valve was on the wall, several feet from the wire.

"Oh, allow me." Starfire began flying to the valve, but stopped when Robin grabbed her hand, looking to him inquisitively.

"Star... Please be careful." he said, reluctantly letting go. Starfire nodded; turning around, she continued to fly across the flooded room.

Robin watched warily as Starfire flew, now regretting that she had come with him. He would rather have fallen in on his own, than watch it happen to her. He kept a close eye as Starfire began to turn the valve, the wire whipping dangerously close to her. However, he knew that if there was one person he could trust with this task, it was her. With the sound of shifting metal, the grates on the floor opened, and the water level dropped progressively, until it disappeared. The wire no longer had anything to run a current through, so Robin stepped down the stairs and followed after Starfire, who had started to examine the machine. Looking closely at the generator, Robin realized Cyborg was right, it_ was _going to kick in, and it did; only problem was, the main power line had been disconnected, so none of the electricity could be fed to the tower.

"I guess we'll have to shut this down for now." Robin said, stepping cautiously beside the still flailing wire, to pull the switch on the generator. As he pulled down the large lever, the room became dark again when the wire stopped moving; Starfire lit up the immediate area once again. Examining the wire, he knew he couldn't repair it by himself; Robin took out his communicator, switching it on, "Cyborg, we might need you down here after all."

- - - - - -

"I just don't understand it, I checked up on this thing before the storm hit, and it was fine." Cyborg sounded reasonably frustrated as he stared at the generator he had just repaired.

"How do you think it happened?" Robin asked.

"I don't think it just _'happened' _at all. I can't be sure, but it looked like the wire was... cut." Cyborg said, reaching up and switching on the generator. Blinding lights flooded the room as the sound of fans and the mechanical whirring of the generator erupted, causing the three Titans to squint.

"CUT?" Robin and Starfire questioned fearfully in unison.

"Relax, I've already checked the tower for life signs. Readout says there's just the five of us, a few rats, and a bunch of bugs." Cyborg assured them. Cyborg's attention was turned to the wall behind the generator, where he heard the sound of water dripping constantly. Peeking around the side of the machine, his eye widened. "Holy--No wonder this place was flooded! There's a big hole in the wall!" Cyborg's jaw dropped as he stared at the gaping wound in the wall; the furious ocean was visible through it, hurling massive waves disturbingly close to the tower. Cyborg ran and picked up a large sheet of steel from a pile, slamming it against the opening, he quickly torched it onto the metal wall, stopping the water from coming in. "You guys didn't notice that?" he asked, looking at Robin and Starfire in disbelief.

"Well we would have, if we weren't too busy trying _not_ to get electrocuted!" Robin retorted.

"Yes, but I am sure _you_ would have noticed it, had you gone down instead." Starfire was uncharacteristically sarcastic as she spoke to Cyborg.

"Okay, okay, points well made..." Cyborg threw his hands up in defense and defeat, unwilling to take on both of them in a verbal bashing. "How 'bout we head back upstairs before BB decides to cook something tofu for breakfast." Cyborg changed the subject, relieved to see Robin and Starfire's expressions change from annoyed to amused at his use of the word tofu.

"Heh, good point." Robin laughed.

- - - - - -

The common room was full of life as it had been any other morning. The Titans disregarded the storm that continued to persistently thrash the tower, to go about their normal routines. After fighting over breakfast, Cyborg and Beast Boy decided to take out their frustrations on each other via the Gamestation, by means of Starfire's nonviolent suggestion. Raven found the rain quite peaceful, sitting by the window, she listened calmly to the rhythmic tapping, engrossed in a book. Robin, however, felt uneasy to say the least; he shook his head as he watched the others go about the day, oblivious to the fact that a member of the team would be leaving soon, all the while wondering if he should tell them. Sitting on the far end of the couch away from the gamers, lost deep in thought, he noticed that they were having fun, coming to the realization that they wouldbe better off not knowing; after all, it was already affecting him pretty badly, why bring them down by bringing them into it? He decided to keep it to himself, for the time being.

Eventually, Beast Boy shot up from his seat and proceeded to dance victoriously, spouting various egotistical remarks. Cyborg responded by hurling his controller at the couch, and storming off to his room, mumbling something about research. Beast Boy looked disappointed for a moment, almost remorseful, until he turned an eye to Raven; picking up Cyborg's controller, he waved it at her, grinning widely.

"Not even if you paid me." she said flatly, looking away from her book for a moment.

Dejected, Beast Boy turned to Robin; noticing that he was wearing quite the serious face, Beast Boy decided against challenging him to a game, instead he began flipping through the channels. Starfire came and sat between Beast Boy and Robin, watching as the channels changed. Robin looked at her; either she was exceedingly good at hiding it, or she didn't care that she was leaving, he hoped that the second wasn't the truth. He didn't want to tell her that he knew, he didn't want to make her feel like she was obligated to stay; but he wanted her to stay more than anything... he had never felt so conflicted. Fighting back his better judgment, he decided to find some way to convince her to at least consider staying, without letting on that he knew.

"Hey Star," he started. Starfire turned to him, smiling sweetly as she always did, this made the words even harder to say, as they became jumbled together, forming a lump in his throat. He breathed deeply, which to his relief, went unnoticed, "I was wondering, when the storm's over... would you--"

"BOO-YAH!" Cyborg came running from his room, a huge grin plastered across his face, everyone's attention shifted, Robin felt like hurting him. "I found it! The pattern!" Cyborg exclaimed, holding a disk in his hand, high above his head. "Those guys don't know who they're messin' with!"

* * *

**Author's Note:** This will be my third fanfiction. I'm attempting to take a more lighthearted approach with this one. So if you've read my other fics, expect this one to be funnier, and a lot less dark.

Oh yeah, what did you think? Reviews are very much appreciated, thank you. :)

**Next Chapter Preview: **Cyborg has discovered a pattern in the recent crimes, leading the Titans to the next scene, before the robbery occurs. But when the criminals finally 'show' themselves, they're not exactly what the Titans had expected. The day is coming to a close, will Robin get a chance to talk to Starfire? Next, Day 1, Part Two: Cloak and Dagger.


	2. Day 1, Part 2: Cloak and Dagger

**10 Leisurely Days**

by Blue Ten

**Summary:**

Robin finds out that Starfire will be leaving for Tamaran in 10 days. Keeping his discovery a secret, he has a little over a week to give her a reason to stay. But when things keep getting in the way, will he even get the chance? RobinxStarfire

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Teen Titans.

* * *

Day 1, Part Two: Cloak and Dagger

The attention in the common room transferred to Cyborg as he came stomping out of his room, cheerfully blurting out something about patterns and how some people are 'gonna get their butts kicked'. Even Robin, after grudgingly getting over his initial state of wanting to punch Cyborg's lights out, found himself at least a little interested in this 'pattern' he wouldn't stop talking about. Starfire reluctantly turned away from Robin, still curious as to what he was going to say. Cyborg stood next to the large TV screen in front of the Titans, holding a disk in his hand as though he were about to thank the academy for an award.

Cyborg took a deep breath, hardly able to contain his enthusiasm, "Y'know all those robberies that have been happening recently?" Cyborg asked, his question slightly directed toward Robin.

"Yeah, I've heard of 'em." Robin replied sarcastically, his eyebrow twitching.

"Well, I've just discovered something that's gonna blow their whole operation out of the water!"

"Oh will you just put the disk in already!" Beast Boy yelled, annoyed at Cyborg's delay and his standing in front of the television.

"Oh, right!" in his state of excitement, Cyborg had almost forgotten about the key point of his speech. Opening a panel next to the screen, Cyborg placed the disk in a tray and the display lit up with a map of the city. "I ran a composite of all the banks these guys have hit in the last few weeks." pushing a key on the console, several red dots started to appear over locations on the map, "It's a pattern. See, they started with the banks on the outer edges of the city, working their way inward as they progressed, going clockwise. If they continued to do this--" Cyborg advanced the presentation once more, "The full composite would look something like this." The red dots spread across the map, forming a sort of oblong spiral around the city's center.

"Are you sure?" Robin asked, a little skeptical. But he also hoped it was true, eager to take down the criminals who had managed to frustrate him so.

"Positive. Besides, it's our best lead so far." Cyborg typed something into the keyboard, "If I'm right, then the next place they're going, is right there." he pointed to the screen as the hotspots disappeared, leaving a single blinking dot.

"When do you think the next one's gonna happen?" Robin questioned, staring intently at the location displayed on the screen.

"The robberies all occurred within two days of each other, and it's been a while since the last one. If they were gonna do it again, today would be the day." Cyborg said, finally calming down. "It's your call man, should we go?"

Robin sighed, looking at Starfire, _'...There's always tomorrow.'_ he thought. "Like you said, it's our best lead." Robin said, realizing that if he didn't go along with what Cyborg suggested, then the others would definitely know something was wrong. "Titans, move!"

- - - - - -

All the Titans packed themselves into the T-Car. As usual, Cyborg sat in the driver's seat and Robin was riding shotgun. Starfire was between Raven and Beast Boy in the back. Since the tower was on an island, they had to drive through an undersea passageway to reach the city. Robin watched as the bright white lights in the tunnel passed swiftly by overhead, they reminded him of the stars when traveling at light speed. He stole a glance in the rear-view mirror to see Starfire quelling an argument between Raven and Beast Boy, which had apparently erupted without notice; smiling, he was unable to hold back a chuckle. Starfire looked in the mirror and smiled back, Robin felt his heart jump into his throat and quickly turned away. The car came to a stop at a wall near the end of the tunnel, where Cyborg entered his security clearance into the computer. The doors opened slowly and the Titans were met once again with the storm they had nearly forgotten.

"Oh... yeah." Cyborg said, switching the windshield wipers on. This seemed like an ineffective action to take; a couple of miniature squeegees, against the furious wrath of the tempest. The rain itself was like a solid wall, it would obstruct the view whether or not it was hitting the windshield. Apprehensively, Cyborg eased the car into motion. The rain began to tap loudly on the roof, it may as well have been hail with the way it sounded.

"Are you certain you can navigate this way?" Starfire asked, leaning forward in her seat and trying to raise her voice above the racket. She watched as the windshield wipers cleared away one sheet of water, only to let the window get covered again by another.

"That's what the GPS is for." Cyborg tapped on a small screen on the dashboard. The display showed the immediate area of the city and it's landmarks, as well as the position of the car down to which side of the street it was on.

"So we're driving blind? I told you this was a bad idea." Beast Boy said.

"No you didn't! Matter of fact, you were all ready to 'give these guys a piece of your mind' remember?"

"...Actually, I was hoping _you_ wouldn't remember."

"Alright. Can we just head down to the bank so we can get this over with?" Robin sounded more irritated than usual at Cyborg and Beast Boy's bickering.

Without saying another word, Cyborg turned his attention to the road and proceeded to step on the gas. The rain beat even louder on the car as it was in motion, drowning out the sound of thunder which loomed directly above. Cyborg tried to drive as fast as he could while carefully paying attention to the GPS, hoping that every bump he hit on the road was a pothole, and not a dog. The streets were not surprisingly empty. A flood alert had been issued for the entire city, so people remained in their homes, waiting out the storm; this gave Cyborg a little more freedom as he drove to his destination.

"We're here." Cyborg brought the car to a halt, out of view in an alley near the bank. As the Titans stepped from the car into several inches of rainwater, the rain slowly receded, sheets of water could be seen moving away to another part of the city. "Now it stops..." Cyborg said, exasperated by the irony of it all.

The bank was the bottom floor of a skyscraper, situated on the right hand side of the street in a hall of tall buildings. Stepping out from the alley, the Titans looked to the sky; the dark clouds remained, letting loose prongs of lightning and crashes of thunder every so often. The wind still blew fiercely, the only thing absent from the storm was the rain. Robin watched with concerned eyes as Starfire cringed at every thunderclap, he felt like asking her about it, but decided now was not the time. The Titans formed a circle outside the alley, looking to Cyborg expectantly for orders, considering that this was his plan.

"Alright, we'll split up and watch from a distance. Star and Raven, you two keep an eye out from the rooftops opposite the bank. Robin, BB, and I'll hide in these alleyways down here." Cyborg said, sounding absolutely sure of his assumption. "Got it?" he asked, looking around at the others for confirmation. Nodding in agreement, the Titans separated to their individual vantage points; Starfire and Raven floated to the rooftops on the other side of the road while Robin, Cyborg, and Beast Boy retreated to three separate alleys with a good view of the bank.

Robin, having long since mastered the art of stealth, used the heavy shadows in the alley to effectively conceal himself. He attempted to keep his attention locked on the bank doors, but a sudden lightning strike brought his focus to the roof. He wondered if Starfire would be alright while she was ever closer to something she seemed to fear a great deal.

Cyborg stayed in the alley where he parked the T-Car, his fraternal instincts would not allow him to leave it. Keeping the infrared sensors in his eye trained on the area surrounding the bank, he would make sure that nothing got past him. He had little doubt that his assumption was right, knowing in his mind that the pattern he found was correct. Thinking more about the subject at hand, he wondered what criminal in their right mind would follow a mold that was so obvious, perhaps the criminals weren't even aware of the pattern they were creating.

Being able to morph into any animal he wanted, Beast Boy had the most freedom to move about his surroundings without being noticed. In the form of a bloodhound, he planned to keep an attentive nose out for any changes in the overall scent of the area, as he sniffed about the alley.

Raven stood on the rooftop adjacent to Starfire, she kept a calm demeanor as she examined the street for movement. She remained unmoved as thunder and lightning struck, but turned a concerned eye to Starfire when she sensed an immense amount of terror from her. Raven noticed that Starfire had ducked down after the thunder hit, clasping her hands behind her head and covering her ears at the same time.

Unable to keep her attention on the bank, Starfire warily focused on the sky which rumbled and flashed with every passing minute. After a blindingly bright silver flash coincided by a deafening thunder strike, Starfire covered her ears and fell to her knees. Shaking her head, she muttered something in Tamaranian.

- - - - - -

Several hours passed, the already dark atmosphere would soon give way to the early evening. The Titans had become restless, having waited for so many hours, without even a pedestrian walking the streets. Looking away from the bank, Robin shook his head and reached for his communicator; he had hoped that Cyborg was right, but with the way things were turning out, all signs seemed to point to a dead end in the case. Switching on the communicator, Robin let out a sigh, "Cyborg, I don't think they're gonna show. Let's all meet back by the car." he said.

Returning from their survey positions and gathering in a circle, the Titans stood in the empty street beside the alley, all feeling like they had wasted a good portion of their day. Cyborg wore a look of disappointment and disbelief, he had been one-hundred percent sure that his discovery was genuine, there was so much evidence to support it. Starfire looked agitated, but soon relaxed when she saw that the storm had actually begun to calm down a bit.

"We can't just give up on this... I know they'll show up." Cyborg defended his claim.

"Cy, we've been out here for ten--" Beast Boy started.

"Six." Raven corrected him.

"Six hours. How about we go home, and if they rob the bank, I owe you a soda?" Beast Boy said, half joking but still sounding serious.

"Robin, you can't seriously--" Cyborg turned to Robin, hoping that he would have some sense.

"Beast Boy's right. If we leave now and they rob the bank, then you'll know for sure where they're going next. It'll be proof that your pattern is correct." Robin said, feeling a little selfish because part of the reason he wanted to go back to the tower, was Starfire.

Defeated, Cyborg let out a sigh, "Y'know... you're right. Let's head back." he said. He began walking to the car, and the others followed.

"I am just glad that we will no longer have to be in the storm..." Starfire said, looking up to the sky, which was still heavy with thunderclouds.

"Well, at least it stopped rain--" with a thud, Beast Boy was cut off mid-sentence. The others quickly turned their attention to see Beast Boy flying head first across the street, his limbs were motionless from the shock of... whatever had happened to him. As he continued to fly across the road, heading in the direction of a parked car, he was immediately surrounded by black energy and lowered to the ground where he groggily lifted himself up. "Ugh, what happened?" he massaged the pain away from his head, as the other Titans rushed over to him.

"You alright man?" Cyborg asked. Before Beast Boy could answer, Cyborg was pushed backward by a sudden force to his chest. Catching himself before he fell, Cyborg swung an arm through the air, only to have it stopped by some invisible force. Struggling to move his arm, he found that whatever was holding him back, was exceptionally strong. "Guys, I think it's safe to say we're not alone here." Cyborg stated. Activating the heat sensors in his eye, he saw a small figure no taller than Beast Boy holding his arm at bay. Looking at the Titans, who appeared perplexed by what was going on, he saw a second figure standing in between them. "There's two of 'em. Watch out! One's standing right next to you--" the figure in front of him lifted an arm, and with a quick slashing sound, Cyborg's mechanical eye went blind. Doubling back, Cyborg put a hand over his eye; with another powerful strike, Cyborg was sent sliding down the road, scraping up the asphalt.

Confounded as Cyborg was hurled down the road, the Titans circled up, facing away from each other while they prepared their fighting stances. With three quick strikes, Beast Boy, Raven, and Starfire were sent flying from the circle, pushed from behind; Raven and Starfire caught themselves in the air, while Beast Boy crashed into pile of trashcans in an alley, from which he soon erupted in gorilla form. Robin stayed still, dodging and blocking what appeared to be the wind striking at him. Hearing the footsteps of the figures running, Robin tried to follow after them. Sensing no more movement, he relaxed his stance.

"You can't fight what you can't see." A cocky young man's voice spoke from several feet away.

"That's right brother." A similar voice responded.

"Because you can't stop the unstoppable duo of--" the first voice spoke again, "Cloak!" a thump was heard on the hood of a parked car.

"And Dagger!" the second voice said, landing on the car, next to Cloak.

"You can't stop the unstoppable--Jeez, who writes your lines?" Beast Boy mocked, looking at the indentations on the hood of the car.

"You wanna know why they call me Dagger?" Dagger asked rhetorically, one of the indentations on the car disappeared and Beast Boy could hear footsteps running toward him. Unsure of where the guy was coming from, Beast Boy braced himself for an attack, but instead felt the figure pass right by him, heading in Starfire's direction. Starfire looked around herself anxiously, trying to focus on the approaching footsteps, losing track of his position when the tapping came to a stop. With the sound of a sharp blade through the air, the fabric on one of Starfire's gloves was split, causing it to fall from her arm. "Whoo! How 'bout we try that with everything else you got on?" Dagger suddenly developed a perverted tone to his voice. Hearing this, Robin felt his blood boil and turned his attention toward Dagger, ready to dispatch the little pervert; however when he saw Starfire's eyes glow green, he knew he had nothing to worry about.

With an angered shriek, Starfire hurled a starbolt in the direction of the voice. Dagger's unseen form was blasted away from Starfire in an explosion of green light, crashing through the window of a clothing store and knocking over the mannequins in the display. Starfire swiftly flew back to regroup with the others; Robin, Beast Boy and Raven had formed a circle again.

"Are you okay?" Robin asked.

"Yes, but I believe I will require a new glove." Starfire responded jokingly, lightening the tense atmosphere.

Cyborg lifted himself up; running back up the street, he rejoined the others. "They've got some kind of stealth camouflage... I can't see 'em without my eye." he said glumly, putting a hand over his shattered optical implant.

"We won't need to see them, just focus on their actions." Robin said confidently.

"Dagger! Enough messing around, get over here!" Cloak yelled as he could be heard stepping down from the car. The mannequins in the store were pushed over and Dagger came running.

"Right, time to finish this." Dagger said, standing beside Cloak.

"Titans, go!" Robin shouted. The Titans tried to fight, but when Cloak and Dagger weren't speaking, they had no idea where to look. To everyone's surprise, Cyborg was lifted up off the ground and tossed tremendously far down the street, where he hit the road with enough force to break it. Raven and Beast Boy were struck by what appeared to be both enemies at once, sending the two in the same direction as Cyborg. Starfire took to the air, but her leg was grasped by one of the two transparent foes.

"Have a nice flight." Dagger said. After spinning her around by the leg, he let go, hurling Starfire at Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven on the far side of the street. Robin winced as she crashed into the ground, but was relieved when he saw all four of his friends stand up; however, they looked pretty badly hurt.

"Dagger, pincer formation!" Cloak called, "It's the two of us, against little you." he said conceitedly, as they advanced on Robin, who had remained in the middle of the street.

Robin closed his eyes, concentrating on their movements. "I'll admit, the odds are slightly..." he started, extending his bo staff. Robin quickly swung the staff from one side to the other, and with two swift hits, Cloak and Dagger were thrown in opposite directions. "In _my_ favor." he finished, retracting his staff and striking the usual pose. With simultaneous grunts, they hit the walls of buildings on opposing sides of the street. Suddenly, like flickering images on a tv screen, the two became visible. Examining them, Robin couldn't believe his eyes; they were kids, they couldn't have been older than fourteen or fifteen. Judging from the way they looked, they were quite obviously twin brothers. They wore strange mechanical devices on their arms like gloves, and the mechanisms that had allowed them to be invisible apparently broke on their impact.

"Hey! We're not finished yet you invisible freaks--Whoa..." Cyborg said, astonished as he came running up the street with the others. "Is that... them?" Cyborg stared at the two kids who were knocked out on the sidewalk. Upon witnessing the scene, the others shared Cyborg's dumbfounded expression.

"Yeah..." Robin trailed off. He knew Cloak was the leader, and wanted to question him; both were identical to the other, they had the same messy short blonde hair, both were fairly scrawny, they even had the same expression while they remained knocked out. "Cloak!" Robin shouted. One of the boys opened his eyes, looking panicked as he discovered he was visible. Cloak tried to move, but doubled over when he realized he had been winded by the impact. Robin began walking to Cloak, followed behind by Cyborg, while the others kept a close eye on the unconscious Dagger.

Cyborg knelt down next to Cloak, "Strength enhancing armor, cloaking devices, where does a kid like you get a hold of tech like that?" he asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Cloak responded arrogantly.

"Yes, I would." Cyborg detached the metal gloves from Cloak's arms, who was too weak to struggle, "And I'm gonna find out one way or another. He's all yours Robin." Cyborg said, stepping away and examining the machinery.

"You're the ones who've been robbing the banks aren't you? Why?" Robin demanded.

"Hey, a kid's gotta eat right?" Cloak answered indirectly once more, smiling pompously. Robin sighed, the kid wasn't going to reveal any information. They were probably hired hands, they might not have known why, or even for whom they were stealing.

Robin decided to give the kid a taste of his own medicine, "I wouldn't worry about that if I were you, Juvenile Hall's got a four star cafeteria." the cocky smile quickly disappeared from Cloak's face.

- - - - - -

Surprisingly, Cloak and Dagger gave a full confession to the police when they arrived, describing every robbery in detail. As they were handcuffed and being led into the back of an armored van, Cloak turned around and gave Robin a sneer. "Hope you didn't have too tough a time draining all that water from your basement!" he said, immaturely sticking his tongue out as the doors closed.

"What!" Robin clenched his fists. He wanted to rip the doors off and really 'interrogate' the kid, but the car had already began to drive away.

"Don't worry about it man, they didn't know anything anyway." Cyborg said, standing behind Robin, "The whole series of crimes was way too smart for a couple of amateurs like them to pull off on their own."

"Yeah, there's just one problem... Someone was calling the shots, and whoever they are, they're still out there." Robin said, watching the van disappear in the distance. Starfire placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"That is something to worry about for another day, but for now, let us return home." She said, letting that sugary smile grace her expression. Robin was surprised at how well she could lighten the mood, as a smile spread across his face as well; actually, he wasn't surprised at all.

- - - - - -

The fierce winds and ominous dark clouds of the storm had finally receded, drifting quietly away to reveal the brilliant night sky. The milky way painted the atmosphere with a dazzling ribbon of shimmering stars; the constellations were nearly unrecognizable, lost in the sea of radiant lights. The sky, clearer than it had ever been, allowed the stars to cast a subtly beautiful blue glow on the ocean. Cool winds rushed softly across the surface of the water, creating a simple and calm current that brought itself to the shore of the island and crashed harmlessly into the rocky barrier. Tired and sore from the battle, all the Titans had retreated to their rooms for a good night's rest, except for Robin who ventured to the roof, unable to sleep. High on the roof of the tower, the stars were even more stunning; standing alone, Robin breathed in the fresh air as he let his eyes wander from star to star.

"I wonder which one has Tamaran..." he said aloud.

"I am not sure myself, but I believe it is somewhere near the group of stars you call cancer." Starfire's sweet and gentle voice blended in perfectly with the serene ambiance of the moment, nevertheless, Robin was startled to say the least.

"Starfire? I didn't see--when did you--um..." Robin could hardly speak after his heart had skipped several beats. Flustered and embarrassed that she had heard him say what he did, his face grew hot as he wondered how long she had been standing there.

"I sense that something is troubling you..." Starfire looked him directly in the eyes, looking fairly worried.

"Star," all he could manage to say, was her name. _'She knows...' _he thought to himself, as the assumption hit him like a punch in the stomach. He realized he had no choice but to tell her now, "I--" he started.

"It is concerning our battle today, correct?" she asked.

Robin let out a deep breath, "...Yeah." he lied. The battle did have him a little distressed, but it was nowhere near the forefront of his thoughts at this moment.

"I was... troubled too, while the storm was making such horrible noises. But now that it has passed, I feel that I have overcome something, I feel stronger. Please know that your storm will pass as well."

"Thanks Star," he said, feeling truly uplifted by her comforting words. "About that, I've been meaning to ask you, do you have storms like that on your planet? Is that why the thunder..." Robin trailed off, realizing he might be opening a door that was better left closed.

Starfire sat on the edge of the tower, motioning for Robin to sit beside her, which he did without the slightest hesitation. She stared off into the sea for a moment, a faraway expression on her face; Robin felt like slapping himself for asking that question. However, she removed any guilt he had as she turned and smiled. "When I was very young, my people were in the midst of a war with the Gordanians. Our battles were fought far above Tamaran, in space. However, one day, the Gordanians brought the war to the surface." Starfire paused for a moment, "My sister and I were forced to hide below the castle, while the battle continued above us."

"Starfire, I didn't realize..." Robin said, feeling guilty again.

"The castle shook and rumbled with every explosion, this is what the thunder reminds me of. But I stayed close to the people I loved most, it made me feel safe, protected. With them, I knew that the battle would come to an end." She finished.

_'The people she loved most...'_ Robin thought about the morning when the power went out, how she had chosen to stay close to him. Quickly, he cleared the thought away, knowing that she didn't think of him as anything more than a friend.

"Robin?"

"Oh sorry, it's just that your story... I'm sorry you had to go through something like that." he said, remorsefully.

"It is alright." she responded, giving him a reassuring smile, "I can see why you came to the roof, the sky is wondrous this evening." Starfire looked to the sky, inhaling deeply as she closed her eyes and leaned back against the roof, gazing up at the sky, "Please, tell me what the stars mean to you."

Robin hoped that by 'you' she meant humans, because he would find it hard, not to mention embarassing, to explain what the stars meant to him as a person. "Well, humans have seen and used the stars as many different things. A map to find direction when you're lost, a way to predict the future, some people even look to the stars to grant wishes--" he explained.

"Wishes?"

"Wishes, the heart's deepest desires." Robin only noticed how dorky the words sounded, after he had already let them escape his mouth.

"If I wanted to wish, to which star should I speak?" She asked. Robin couldn't help but smile at her interpretation.

To get a full view of the stars, Robin leaned back on the roof as well, resting his hands behind his head, "There. Sirius, it's the brightest star in the sky at night, so it's usually the first one you see." Robin said, pointing to the star which stood out the most, even in front of the omnipresent milky way. "But you wouldn't speak to it, you'd kinda... think the wish, y'know?"

"Will you wish with me?" Starfire asked. Nodding, Robin found that he couldn't say no, even if he wanted to. Robin and Starfire stared at the star for a few moments, letting it reflect in their eyes as they thought about their wishes. "What did you wish for?" she asked, turning away from the star.

_'You.'_ Robin responded in thought. "Oh, part of the deal is that you can't tell anyone the wish, or it won't come true." he clarified.

"That is very strange, but I do want this wish to come true, so I shall remain silent." Starfire yawned, stretching her arms out.

Starfire began to inquire more about the stars; Robin traced the constellations with his fingers, showing her the shapes they represented, and explaining their meanings, to the best of his knowledge. Starfire returned the favor by trying to identify constellations similar to those she had seen on Tamaran. Eventually, they fell into a comfortable silence, gazing up at the sky together. Neither realized it as their eyes grew heavy and they slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Wowie! That's a new record for my first chapters(Word count and reviews). Thanks for the lovely reviews! It's great to see new reviewers, and some familiar... faces? So what'd ya think of this chapter? I tried to add a more prominent Robin and Starfire moment in this one, the previous chapter was kinda lacking, in my opinion.

Evanlicious, your constructive criticism was so helpful. You're right, even I thought I went a little overboard with the description at the beginning. And I really did use a lot of commas, I'll try to cut down on that. :P

iluvrobbie, when that info is revealed, I hope to surprise you. For now though, I'm keeping it a guarded secret.

(Credit goes to realfanficts for bringing an inaccuracy to my attention, Sirius not Polaris is the brightest star in the night sky. Edited on 10/10/05)

I have become addicted to reviews, please sustain me. :)

**Next Chapter Preview: **Robin wakes up on the right side of the 'bed'. He decides to make the next nine days, the best days Starfire has ever spent on earth, but how? Unfortunately for Robin's plans, some things are just unavoidable. Next is Day Two, Part One: The Start of Something Good.


	3. Day 2, Part 1: The Start of Something

**10 Leisurely Days**

by Blue Ten

**Summary:**

Robin finds out that Starfire will be leaving for Tamaran in 10 days. Keeping his discovery a secret, he has a little over a week to give her a reason to stay. But when things keep getting in the way, will he even get the chance? RobinxStarfire

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Teen Titans.

* * *

Day 2, Part One: The Start of Something Good

The crest of earth's star at daybreak peaked above the ocean and shed its warm radiance on a city that, in the wake of a substantial storm, had nearly forgotten the sun's presence. A beautiful shade of pink and orange, the sky was calm and clear; the thin and wispy clouds that floated peacefully above, seemed set ablaze by the gleaming light. It was a welcome sight, the sun rising after a storm, like a light at the end of a dark and lengthy tunnel. The fresh and comforting breeze brought the sea to life, with the tranquil sounds of rushing water; crashing against the rocks of the island, and sending droplets into the air as it waved. The gulls began to sing in the forthcoming sunlight while they danced about the sky near the docks.

After the luminosity touched his face and woke him, Robin tried to pull the blanket higher to block the sun, as he was still quite tired. When the blanket wouldn't budge, Robin opened his eyes, expecting to see the ceiling above him; instead, his eyes were met by the bright sky, which caused him to squint. Robin spent a moment contemplating where he was, until he remembered that he had fallen asleep on the roof with... Robin looked to his left, there he saw Starfire wrapped under the blanket, resting her head on her arms. She was so close that he could feel her breath on his face. The light gave her a stunning glow as it reflected off of her shiny scarlet hair and tan skin. Her body moved hypnotically with her peaceful breathing; she smiled while she slept.

_'Where did the blanket come from?' _Robin wondered, still not entirely sure what was going on. Then it hit him; he was under a blanket, with Starfire. At the thought, Robin immediately burst out from under the blanket, his face beet red. His heart was thumping so fast that he swore it might burst out of his chest at any moment, as he found himself gasping for breath. After steadying his pulse, he noticed that Starfire remained asleep, even after his commotion. _'She must be pretty tired.' _he thought, deciding to worry about _how_ they ended up under a blanket later; but if he had to guess, he'd say that either Cyborg, Beast Boy, or both have a lot of explaining to do.

He didn't want to wake her, but he didn't want to leave her alone on the roof either, so he decided to carry her down to her room. Carefully, he slid his arms under, lifting her off the ground along with the blanket. Turning to the door, Robin began walking, but stopped when Starfire moved a little. Still asleep, Starfire shifted her weight inward, snuggling up against Robin's arm; it was now, that he hoped his frantic heartbeat wouldn't wake her. Robin opened the door, and cautiously began walking down the stairs. At the end of the staircase, he stealthily peeked his head around the corner, the others may not have woken up yet so the halls were quiet and empty; with Starfire in his arms, he tiptoed down the hall to her room. Sliding the door open with his foot, he quietly walked in, and stopped beside Starfire's bed. He set her down gently, resting her head on the pillows and fixing the blanket into a comfortable position. After standing still for a moment and losing himself in his thoughts, he shook his head and silently exited the room. Outside, Robin slid the door shut and let out the breath he had been holding in since he picked her up.

"Breakfast'll be ready soon." Cyborg's voice caused Robin's shoulders to tense up.

"Gah! No I didn't!" Robin jumped away from the door, and turned to see Cyborg standing at the end of the hall.

"What? I said, breakfast will be ready soon." Cyborg repeated, looking deathly confused. "You get enough sleep last night man?"

"Yes--Of course I did--Why wouldn't I?"

"...Yeah." Cyborg raised an eyebrow, "Anyway, BB didn't cook it, so you've got nothing to worry about." he said, turning away and walking to the common room.

Robin inhaled deeply, _'You're a real piece of work, y'know that?' _he thought to himself, only now realizing just how much he had lost it back there. It seemed like Cyborg didn't know, so Robin figured that it must have been Beast Boy who decided to throw a blanket over them; some form of prank no doubt, though it wasn't funny at all. _'Not funny... Yeah, must've been Beast Boy.'_

Robin walked into the common room, surprised to find that everyone was awake, and seemed to have been so for quite some time; seeing this, he wondered how late in the morning it was. Cyborg stood in the kitchen, whistling as he flipped pancakes, fried bacon, and scrambled eggs on the stove; apparently Beast Boy had lost the food war this morning. Raven sat at the kitchen table with her eyes closed, quietly sipping at a cup of tea. Beast Boy was on the couch with his arms crossed, crestfallen and irate, obviously pouting about the meat that was being cooked. Robin ambled to the couch and sat down, feeling like everyone was looking at him; ignoring it, he took in the aroma of bacon and eggs which was usually coincided by the sound of opinionated bickering.

­- - - - - -

Starfire yawned, stretching her arms out as she awoke. She opened her eyes, and was surprised to see the ceiling above her, expecting to see the sky. Feeling that her head was resting on the pillows, she sat up, looking a little puzzled; normally she would put her feet on the pillows and let her head hang over the edge of the bed. Giggling at the thought, she realized that Robin must have carried her to her room. Starfire removed the blanket and stepped off the bed; stretching once more, she reached down and tucked the blanket back onto her bed, where it belonged.

- - - - - -

Several minutes passed as the Titans waited for breakfast; Beast Boy's expression changed as he turned toward Robin, grinning absurdly. Robin lifted an eyebrow as Beast Boy continued to smirk. About to say something, Beast Boy opened his mouth; he was interrupted as Starfire burst into the room, smiling widely, looking more cheery and jovial than usual. Her skin was shiny and her hair was shimmering, fresh out of the shower; seeing her, Robin realized he hadn't even washed his face. He noticed that she seemed ecstatic about something, wondering if it was their conversation that night that had raised her spirits.

"A glorious morning to all!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands together as she floated in. The room was brought to life when she spoke, everyone said good morning while Starfire hovered to the table, sitting across from Raven

Suddenly, Beast Boy developed a mischievous look on his face, "So, you two have a nice nap up there?" he asked slyly. Cyborg dropped a pancake on the counter and cringed as he heard this. To everyone's surprise, Raven, who had been drinking tea at the time, looked like she was about to choke; after forcing herself to swallow a big gulp of air, she coughed a little. Following their initial responses, Cyborg and Raven shot Beast Boy a look that seemed to say, 'We _told_ you not to say that!'

"Oh yes, sleeping under the stars is most enjoyable." Starfire responded buoyantly, seemingly oblivious to the spin Beast Boy was trying to put on his question. Beast Boy was shot down by her answer, he didn't quite get the reaction he was looking for, and the reaction he got from Robin was a little more intense than he had anticipated. Thankful that Beast Boy would be blamed for the joke, Cyborg and Raven turned their attention away from him, laughing inwardly.

Beast Boy looked at Robin, and after being met with a penetrating death glare, started to panic. "Um... I'm just gonna go... sit over here now." he said nervously, running to the end of the table and hiding sheepishly next to Raven and Starfire, who were seated on the adjacent sides.

Robin sighed, relieved that Starfire was far too innocent to understand what Beast Boy meant by his joke. He decided to let it slide this once, no harm no foul; after all, it wasn't such a bad thing to do anyway, giving a blanket to someone on a fairly chilly night, it was almost noble. And as much as he didn't want to admit it, he couldn't say that he hated the situation; he was just glad that Starfire didn't wake up first, _'That would have been a mess.' _he thought.

Much to Beast Boy's dread, Robin decided to join everyone at the table, sitting right next to Starfire. Now severely regretting his joke, he half expected Robin to slap him on the back of the head; but under closer inspection, Robin didn't seem mad at all, he looked relaxed, content, one might even go as far as saying happy. Relieved, Beast Boy began to settle down, then Cyborg tossed five plates filled to the brim with eggs, bacon, and pancakes in front of each of the Titans, causing him to shudder.

"Breakfast!" Cyborg hollered.

"Dude! You know I can't eat this!" Beast Boy yelled, pushing the plate away from himself, treating the bacon and eggs like toxic waste as he avoided them with his fingers.

"And why not?" Cyborg asked, already knowing the answer.

"There're animals all over that plate, if I ate any of it, it would be like eating... myself!" Beast Boy explained, for what felt like the thousandth time. "I've already got something to eat anyway." he said, pulling a plate out of nowhere, the contents of which seemed to be discolored versions of what everyone else had; he began to scarf it down, causing the others to cringe at the consumption of tofu.

"Oh well, more for us then." Cyborg said, grabbing the plate and scooping the food onto his, which he then proceeded to eat voraciously, causing Beast Boy to cringe at the consumption of meat. The others thought it was funny how Cyborg and Beast Boy's rivalries ranged from beating each other at videogames, to trying to gross one another out by eating the object of the other's culinary nightmares. Caught in the crossfire, Robin, Starfire, and Raven stepped away from the table, moving their breakfast to the living room as they attempted to stay far from the 'contest' that raged on in the kitchen.

"Robin, I very much enjoyed the watching of the stars with you. Please, will you join me again tonight?" Starfire asked with a hopeful smile, sitting beside Robin on the couch.

Robin felt his stomach flutter as he heard her question; her eyes sparkled as she gave him 'the face', he found that it was physically impossible for him to say no, his mouth could only say yes. "Of course." he conceded, "But we should probably try not to fall asleep this time." he joked. Embarrassed as he was about Beast Boy's prank, he couldn't pass up another chance to talk with her, alone.

"Yes, indeed." Starfire giggled.

"What is it?" Robin asked, raising an eyebrow. Her smile was contagious, and he couldn't hold his back.

"Oh... it is nothing." Starfire tilted her head to the side as she looked away, smiling shyly; Robin swore she looked like she was blushing, but he passed it off as Starfire just being her normal cute self. It was at this point, as he gazed amorously at her, that he decided to make every day from this one forward, special to her; nine more reasons to stay. Perhaps then she would consider remaining on earth, and he wouldn't have to say goodbye to moments like this, the moments he cherished most, among all things that took precedence in his life.

In due course, Cyborg and Beast Boy ran out of food; giving up on their competition for now, they joined the others in the living room, who had long since finished their breakfast. Cyborg had a question plaguing his mind since the day before; after damaging his eye in the battle and being beaten so thoroughly along with the others, he wondered how Robin managed to defeat Cloak and Dagger so easily.

"Robin, about the battle the other day," Cyborg started, entering the TV section of the living room, "How did you manage to beat those guys so quickly? ...I mean, it's like you didn't even need us there."

"Yeah, I've been wondering about that too." Beast Boy added sitting on the floor by the couch.

Robin, who was talking to Starfire at the time, reluctantly turned his attention to them, looking interrupted, "...Well, in battle, you're enemies won't always be in plain sight, so I was trained to focus on the actions people take. And if actions speak louder than words, then these guys were speaking volumes. They were clumsy, headstrong, and reckless; they gave themselves away with the way they moved." he answered, leaving Cyborg and Beast Boy to believe that Robin's mind, during combat, existed on some higher plane of thought that they could never hope to understand. "Speaking of them... When they were being arrested, Cloak made it seem like they were the ones who broke in and cut the generator." Robin said, tensing up as he remembered the last thing Cloak said. Starfire looked at him, sad to see his mood change; he had seemed so happy before...

"I heard him say that... Turns out the basement had been a security blind spot I had overlooked since I built the place, so I took the liberty of installing new security systems down there last night. Now no one's getting in here without us knowing about it." he tried to reassure Robin, also noticing his attitude shift. "But, the machinery those two had... I haven't been able to figure out who made it, the stuff looked like it was built from scratch, by hand. I mean, we really haven't learned more than what those kids looked like since your quick victory--"

"And a marvelous victory it was! Should we not celebrate?" Starfire cut in, wanting desperately to change the subject. The others looked at her for a moment, realizing that they were worrying too much about something that couldn't be farther out of their hands. A nice break did seem like the perfect thing to take their minds off of their troubles too, especially after the storm.

"Heh, good idea Star." Cyborg chuckled, "What did you have in mind?" he asked.

"Well, it is a beautiful day outside. Perhaps this calls for an outing to the park?" she suggested, adorably tapping her index fingers together. Everyone stared out the window; the sun was beaming in through the still rain-spotted glass, shining a warm light into the common room, which the Titans had overlooked until now. At the sight of good weather, everyone's face lit up.

Raven had been sitting in her usual spot, reading her usual book; standing up and closing it, she looked out the window, then back to the others, "Sure, sounds like... fun." she said, letting an atypical smile show.

"Yeah! We could have a picnic. Tofu dogs for everyone!" Beast Boy exclaimed, running to the kitchen.

"NO! No tofu dogs!" Cyborg shouted. But there was no stopping Beast Boy, who had already begun rummaging through the refrigerator.

"Robin, will you not come picnicking with us?" Starfire asked, taking his hand as she stood up from the couch. With his mind void of words due to her touch, Robin responded with a goofy smile.

- - - - - -

Jump city's central park, a lone patch of green situated amidst the gray urban jungle; as far as parks came, it was fairly modest, but large enough that one could almost get lost within it, and picturesque enough that one could forget about the skyscrapers that towered above the trees on all sides. Like a completely different world within the metropolis, the sound of rushing rivers and wind swept leaves overtook the busy noises of the city. The midday sun, brilliant and intense in the cloudless sky, shone brightly on the dew-dropped grass, evaporating away what the heavy rain had left behind. Compensating for the heat of the sun, a cool and gentle breeze swept through the park, adding a refreshing chill to the air as it rustled through the trees. The various bridged rivers of the area flowed heavy with water, serving as a reminder of the day that had passed.

The Titans stepped out of the T-Car, taking in the fresh air as they stretched, glad to finally be outside again under peaceful circumstances. Removing their belongings from the car, they ventured to the usual spot, a single picnic table that stood under a sizeable tree on a hill; it was a nice and simple area, far enough out of the way that the Titans could enjoy themselves without being mobbed by reporters and fanatics, and big enough to accommodate a game of football.

Along the way, Robin passed by a newspaper stand. Examining the front page of the Chronicle, he saw that they had already published a story about yesterday's events. The caption read, in several satisfyingly bold words, 'Invisible Burglars Apprehended by Teen Titans.' This was one of the rare occasions that the paper displayed good news on the front page, making Robin feel proud that his team was part of the reason. However, while reading the article, he noticed that they mentioned the stolen money was never recovered; Robin frowned as he read the last line, having forgotten entirely about the money, until now. Looking away from the newspaper, he saw that he had fallen behind; he decided to worry about such things later, for now, he would catch up with the others and enjoy the day.

Arriving at their destination, the Titans began to set up the picnic table. Between the two of them, Cyborg and Beast Boy had brought enough food to last the entire day; luckily there were two grills that could be utilized for cooking, so they didn't have to fight over which got cooked first, meat or fake-meat. Cyborg began to load up his grill with a variety of meats, ranging from ribs to steaks; to everyone's surprise, Beast Boy had brought more than tofu based food, with enough salad to make up for all the meat.

"It'll be a while before it's done." Cyborg said, turning away from his grill for a moment.

"Glorious! Shall we walk through the park while we wait?" Starfire asked the others happily, stepping away from the bottles of mustard she had set on the table.

"Cooking." Beast Boy responded, turning over a tofu dog.

"Meditating." Raven replied simply, floating cross legged under a tree with her eyes closed.

"Sure, I'll go." Robin answered, trying not to sound too eager in front of the others.

"That's right you will." Cyborg and Beast Boy said in unison with ridiculous looks on their faces. Cyborg, who had apparently forgotten about scolding Beast Boy for his joke earlier in the morning, popped up out of nowhere and joined in on elbowing Robin in the sides.

"Uh... heh, yeah..." Robin spouted nervously, pushing Cyborg and Beast Boy away by their faces, now realizing that their constant teasing would become a major problem over the next few days; but he didn't care, it was for her, and he would do anything for her. As though she didn't even notice, Starfire contentedly took Robin by the hand and pulled him away from the group.

As they walked along a cobblestone pathway next to one of the rivers, Robin noticed that Starfire had not let go of his hand. She gazed in blissful wonderment at the many stunning sights; gently swaying leaves, grassy green hills populated by beautiful white flowers, and a river that sparkled and rushed swiftly beside them, all of which were made increasingly radiant by the light of the sun.

"It is a beautiful day to be in the park, yes?" Starfire asked gleefully, looking to Robin.

"Yeah, and we owe it all to you Star. I mean, I'd hate to think where we'd be right now... if you weren't here." Robin stated, feeling stupid as he wondered if he said too much.

Suddenly, Starfire's expression changed to one of unwelcome surprise, as she let go of his hand and came to a stop, "Robin..." she said.

_'Crap, you did say too much you idiot! Why can't you ever keep your mouth shut around her?'_ he demanded of himself in thought. Robin noticed that Starfire was pointing at something; turning around, he realized the situation was much worse than he imagined. Standing on the path in front of them, was a man clad in a black suit, his jacket flamboyantly bore the colors of his homeland. Resting his weight on a jeweled cane, the middle aged red-haired man stared at Robin and Starfire with a toothy grin.

"Ah, how cute. Strayed away from the lot have we?" he asked in his ostentatiously British accent.

"Mad..." Starfire trailed off, not quite remembering the second half of the man's alias.

"Mod... Of all the--" Robin finished for her.

"That's right my duckies, fresh out of lockup, and ready to pick up right where we left off." Mad Mod cut him off, raising his cane to point.

"If memory serves, they put you in a home for the criminally decrepit, not jail." Robin responded by hitting Mod where it hurt, frustrated by this most annoying turn of events. _'Why now? Any other time but now...' _he thought, staring at Mod's unchanging expression.

"I had hoped to trap the whole bunch, but I guess I'll have to settle for the two of you. Who knows, this might be even better--" Mod muted his speech as a young, but incredibly deep voice interrupted him.

"Step aside gramps, this quarry's mine."

"Oy, sod off you--" Mod stopped as he turned around to see a ten foot tall figure, whose features were washed out by the sun; in sheer terror, Mod's eyes widened and his knees buckled. Suddenly the man reached a giant metal hand out, picking up Mod like he had the weight of a feather. With the other hand, he took and crushed Mod's cane, causing him to grow old and feeble in an instant. Robin and Starfire could only watch in horrified astonishment as the towering man hurled Mad Mod through the air; falling in a river, he proceeded to float downstream, looking dazed.

"Should we... go after him?" Starfire asked hesitantly.

"No, I think we have bigger things to worry about now." Robin replied, narrowing his eyes at the man who stood tall in front of them.

"Now that our obstacle has been removed, let's talk business." The man said, stepping into full view, shaking the ground as he moved. His form described that of a machine, much like Cyborg; but that's where the similarities ended, his strange armor was black, silver, and gold in color. He was a giant, to put it lightly, towering above Robin and Starfire. However much like a machine he was, his voice was most definitely human, but his face was well hidden behind a metallic black mask.

"Business? Who are you?" Robin asked suspiciously, stepping forward to confront him.

"Call me, Mr. Iron. We have become well aware of your exceptional abilities since you dispatched our newest recruits the other day, Robin." he answered, surprisingly direct and to the point.

"Cloak and Dagger..."

"Yes, granted they were just kids. He believes that with more training you could be a valuable asset to our establishment."

"He?" Robin glared, having heard this exact kind of thing from someone else...

"My orders are to recruit you. However, we can't have someone like you getting in our way, so if you refuse, I'm afraid I must kill you."

"Then I guess you'll have to kill me." Robin removed three metal spheres from his belt, throwing them at Mr. Iron. With three consecutive explosions, the man was enveloped in smoke; however, he emerged from the cloud soon after, without a scratch or dent on his armor.

"So that's you're answer is it? If you choose death, then I must deliver."

"You will not harm him!" Starfire shouted as she stepped in front of Robin, eyes glowing green. Charging energy in her hand, Starfire threw a starbolt at Mr. Iron. Confident as he was in his own abilities, he remained still, letting the energy strike him in the chest; with a grunt and an explosion of light, he fell down on to one knee, seemingly in a great deal of pain. Starfire's energy had burned a hole in his armor, revealing the inner mechanical workings of his suit. Breathing heavily, he shot a glance at Starfire.

"Who _are _you? Perhaps we have our eye on the wrong person..." he said, now staring at the gaping hole in his chest.

"You, stay away from her!" Robin yelled, readying his staff.

"If things work out, _I _will." Iron said, slamming a fist into the earth. Erupting from the ground, a massive cloud of smoke masked his image, "A parting gift from The Tempest!"

Robin stared into the billowing smoke, _'The Tempest?' _he thought. Suddenly, something small swiftly broke through the cloud, whistling and catching the sunlight as it flew. Caught off guard, Robin felt a stabbing pain in his left shoulder as he was thrown to the ground by the impact.

"Robin!"

- - - - - -

"Robin! Come on man, stay with us!" Robin could hear Cyborg's voice, but he couldn't feel or see anything. He strained to open his eyes; managing to squint, he saw several blurry bright lights passing by above him, he recognized it as the halls of the tower. "Hurry, we've gotta get him to the infirmary, he's fading!" after Cyborg spoke, Robin's vision shifted to black and he could no longer hear anything.

The Titans stood in the infirmary, watching Robin closely as he was hooked up to a heart monitor. Beast Boy sat in a corner of the room, hardly able to believe what had happened; normally, he would try to lighten the mood with a joke, but he figured that if there was ever a time to keep his mouth shut, now was that time. Raven stayed silent in her section of the room, worrying more about Starfire, from whom she sensed great anxiety and despair. Cyborg stood next to the unconscious Robin, with Starfire. "Please, will he be alright?" Starfire asked worriedly, looking at Robin as he laid still on the examination table.

"I don't know, the poison's spreading fast. I gave him a sedative to slow down his blood flow, and I was able to synthesize an antitoxin from what was on the blade but..." Cyborg trailed off despondently, examining the small black blade he had extracted from Robin's shoulder. "Someone should stay behind and watch him. Starfire, I'm counting on you."

Starfire nodded in response, "What will you do?" she questioned.

"BB, Raven, and I'll try and track down this Iron guy you told us about. If there's anyone who'll know about the poison, it's him; we'll beat the info out of the guy if we have to. Only problem is, we don't know where to--" Cyborg stopped as he heard a beeping noise from the monitor.

Suddenly, Robin's heart rate increased rapidly, turning everyone's attention to him. "Iron... tracer." he fought out two words, as he struggled to lift his hand; losing consciousness once again, he dropped his communicator on the ground. Starfire immediately rushed to his side, taking his hand in hers.

"Robin, you must not move..."

Cyborg reached down and picked up the communicator, looking at the display, he saw that it was tracking movement, "Robin. He managed to get a tracer on the guy... BB, Raven, let's get going!" Cyborg said, rushing to the exit with the others.

Stopping at the door, Raven looked back at Starfire, "Are you sure you'll be alright by yourself?" she asked.

"Yes, I will make sure he is safe." Starfire reassured the others; mostly convinced, they left the room, focusing on the tracer. Alone, Starfire continued to solemnly hold Robin's hand, listening to the humming and beeping sounds of the machines, which she didn't quite understand the purpose of. Robin's grip increased.

"Starfire... please don't leave..." he said with his eyes closed, as though speaking through a nightmare.

"Do not worry, I will stay with you."

* * *

**Author's Note:** 23! That freeked me out when I looked at it! I'm overwhelmed, speechless really... I've never gotten so many reviews in such a short amount of time. Words can't express my gratitude. :)

About the part where Starfire wakes up, if you've seen the episode 'Switched' then you'll know what I was talking about when I described how she sleeps. Also, I kind of subtly explained who brought the blanket, read again if you missed it :) (It wasn't Beast Boy). This chapter marks the introduction of Mr. Iron and mentions The Tempest (a fairly important plot point).

Forgive me if I ease off the lightheartedness a bit to advance the plot. Don't worry, it will return.

Realfanficts, thanks for the correction, apparently astronomy's not exactly my forte... Even still, I probably should have taken a look at the sky before I wrote that part (slaps self). I gave credit to you for the correction when I changed it. :)

PrInCeSs 2006, I'll try to focus on the others a little more, I thought I was neglecting them too.

I'm glad that some people are offering constructive criticism, it really helps me to improve as a writer. So an extra thanks goes out to those who did.

**Next Chapter Preview: **Starfire stays behind at the tower to look after Robin, who is in critical condition. Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven follow after Mr. Iron, but are discouraged when they realize they'll need everyone to take him down. Next, Day 2, Part Two: Bedside Manner.


	4. Day 2, Part 2: Bedside Manner

**10 Leisurely Days**

by Blue Ten

**Summary:**

Robin finds out that Starfire will be leaving for Tamaran in 10 days. Keeping his discovery a secret, he has a little over a week to give her a reason to stay. But when things keep getting in the way, will he even get the chance? RobinxStarfire

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Teen Titans.

* * *

Day 2, Part Two: Bedside Manner

The room was dark and gloomy, unfortunately well fit for the atmosphere that recent events had produced. With the windows closed and covered, the light from the afternoon could not penetrate the room. All the lights in the infirmary had been switched off as well, save for the single dim light above the examination table where Robin lay, all this was done to keep him from waking. The only sounds were the electrical humming of machines, and the beeping of Robin's heart monitor. Starfire sat in a chair beside the steel bed, as she had been for several hours, holding Robin's hand tightly in her own; looking away for a moment she watched many small lights on computer consoles blinking far off in the shadows. Turning her attention to the machine that Robin was attached to, she listened to the beeping sound it made every few moments, now realizing it was his heartbeat that it monitored. Glad to hear the steady series of beeps, she let out a sigh, knowing that at least in some form he was okay. However, she felt guilt, placing the blame on herself for leading Robin into danger, even if it was an accident.

She placed her free hand on Robin's forehead; his temperature was abnormally high, making her worry even more. Cyborg had told her that the _sedative_ and _antitoxin_ he had given Robin would help; unfortunately, these were two words she had yet to learn.

"I never want to see anything happen to you..." she said, tearing up as she realized he couldn't answer.

- - - - - -

_Though the day had become moderately warm after the storm passed, the night brought with it a calm but chilly breeze. Awakened by the cold, Starfire opened her eyes, seeing once more the dazzling sea of diamonds that sparkled brightly in the sky. Sitting up, she shivered and rubbed her hands together for warmth; as she realized just how cold it was becoming, she became concerned about Robin. As she brought her gaze to where he was lying, just a few feet from her, he looked like he was unaffected by the increasingly cold air. She figured that he had not noticed the chill yet because he was wearing more clothes, but it would only be a matter of time before it would cause him to wake up. He seemed to be sleeping peacefully, something he would not often do... Starfire didn't want to wake him; however, she didn't want the cold to wake him either. Contemplating her options, she stood up and quickly made her way to the door on the roof._

_"I will return, please do not move." she whispered. Opening the door, she flew swiftly down the stairs._

_Soon, she floated back up the stairs to the rooftop, carrying a large purple blanket in her arms. Starfire was glad to see that Robin had remained asleep, however, she noticed that he had begun to shiver slightly. Quickly, she sat down beside him and draped the blanket over Robin and herself, relieved to see his shivering immediately subside. Laying down and resting her head on her arms, she found that the ground had become cold where she left it; she decided to move as close to Robin as she thought was appropriate, to warm up._

_Looking at Robin's mask as he slept, Starfire thought about what she had told him when she came to the roof. She had lied; she didn't feel any better about the storm, that is, until she talked to him about it. She found that Robin could always make her feel better about anything; it was simply his presence that made her feel solace when the world became a strange and confusing place, protection when danger was imminent, and warmed when the cold presented itself. He did all these things for her without asking anything in return. She saw him as the most selfless person she had ever known; she saw him as much more than a mere friend._

_She wanted to find a way to thank him somehow; an interesting thought came to her mind, but she wondered if she would be doing it for him, or for herself. Leaning her face in closer to his, she closed her eyes, and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Thank you." she said, smiling as she pulled herself away. When she realized she had begun to hover, with the blanket being the only thing that kept her from blissfully floating away into the sky, she quickly cleared her mind of specific thoughts and let herself descend to the ground. Unable to remove all the dreamy imaginings, she smiled as she drifted off to sleep._

_- - - - - -_

"But it is my fault." she said, regretfully. Letting go of Robin's hand, she wiped away the tears which had begun welling up in her eyes, "You would not be in this condition if it was not for me--" she stopped, when a hand weakly took hold of her wrist. She turned her attention to Robin; he trembled as he held on to her hand, and struggled to keep his eyes open while he attempted to smile.

"Please, don't ever say that." he said, opening his eyes fully and trying to sit up, exerting great effort.

"Robin!" Starfire tackled him with a hug, knocking over the chair she was sitting on. "Thank X'hal you are--" Starfire gasped, "Cyborg said you should not move, there is poison in your blood..."

"Poison... Don't worry, I feel fine now." he said, not quite sure what to believe; but he was awake, which was reason enough to assume that the poison's affects had worn off. Starfire let go of Robin, examining him to make sure he was telling the truth. He seemed to be having some trouble keeping his eyes open, but other than that, he looked well. Still unconvinced, she placed a hand on his forehead; his temperature was still high.

"Robin, are you certain?" she asked, giving him a look he couldn't lie to.

"Yes. Positive." he said, sure of himself.

Starfire's eyes glistened as she locked him in another bone crunching hug, "Do not ever do that again..." she cried. Suddenly, Robin's heart monitor started to beep wildly, "Robin?" she asked, her voice muffled by his shoulder, which she had buried her face in.

"Oh... Uh, that's nothing, don't worry about it." he said, pulling at his collar. His vicinity to her had caused his heart to jump; he took it as another sign that he was healthy. Robin tried to slow his pulse by inhaling and exhaling deeply; of course, consequently, he was taking in the heavenly scent of her hair at the same time. Without thinking, he pulled the sensors from his chest, hoping to stop the machine before his heartbeat increased any more. Without a heartbeat to read, the monitor made it seem like Robin had flat lined, letting out a piercing and unending beep.

"Robin!" Starfire pulled away quickly, looking confused as she saw that he was alive.

Shaking his head at his own stupidity, Robin reached over and shut the machine down. "So... Where are the others?" he asked, attempting to change the subject.

"Do you not remember?" she asked, wiping away the last of her tears; seeing this, Robin felt a pang of guilt, realizing he had caused her to cry. "They have left to follow after the Iron man." she finished.

The memory of waking up and dropping his communicator on the floor suddenly reentered his mind. "What--No, we've gotta help them!" he said; jumping down from the table, he tried to walk but started to fall to the floor.

Catching Robin, Starfire wrapped her arms around his waist and lifted him up so he could stand, "You have not fully recovered..." she said.

"Please, they'll need us..." Robin said, turning around to look at her.

"Fine, I shall go. _You_ will remain and rest." Starfire said firmly, crossing her arms in front of herself, trying to keep a steady expression at the thought of leaving Robin behind.

"No." he shook his head, "He's after you just as much as me now Star; if you go, I go." Robin said, placing a hand over the bandaged wound on his shoulder; he wouldn't let the same thing, or worse, happen to her.

Starfire sighed sadly; the last thing she wanted to see was a repeat of the battle in the park, but there was no stopping him when he was like this. "...Since you cannot walk, I will carry you."

- - - - - -

In the waning light of the late afternoon, the T-Car maneuvered swiftly through the traffic jammed city streets, dodging cars left and right, and taking shortcuts through vacant alleyways. Cyborg drove as fast as he could, following the location marked by the tracer; soon they would catch up to Iron, but the way Starfire had described him, made for a slight apprehension in the three Titans' attitudes. Beast Boy and Raven remained in the backseats, neither willing to take Robin's usual place in the front, in a vain attempt to avoid being prophetic. The only thing on their minds now, was locating this man, and finding out whatever they could about Robin's affliction, by whatever means necessary. But they couldn't shake the feeling that perhaps there was nothing they could do; the man had attempted to kill Robin, and if he meant to kill him, why would there be a way to stop it? If Iron didn't know a way to purge the poison, they could only hope that what Cyborg had done for Robin would be enough. Aside from that, Iron was obviously dangerous, and as the Teen Titans, it was their duty to stop him.

Raven looked across the car at Beast Boy; he wore an unusually staid and focused expression. He had been quiet for far too long; it made her uneasy to think that the state of affairs was so serious that even Beast Boy had nothing to say about it. Turning her attention to Cyborg, she saw that he seemed more angry than anything; already seeking vengeance for someone who may not even die. She wondered how Starfire was taking it; after all, it seemed to have cut her the deepest, all the way to her spirit.

Suddenly, Beast Boy's expression changed, "I swear, if Robin makes it through this, I'll never tease him about that whole Starfire thing again..." he said, partially joking. Hearing Beast Boy's voice, Raven and Cyborg actually felt a certain amount of weight lift from the particularly heavy atmosphere; for once, he had successfully lightened the mood.

- - - - - -

_"Hurry, it's right up here." Beast Boy said, pushing Cyborg and Raven up the stairs to the roof. Groggy and tired, both had a 'this better be good' expression on their faces. Beast Boy opened the door; a cool burst of air from the early morning woke each of them up immediately. Cyborg and Raven stepped outside after Beast Boy, scanning the roof for this 'big emergency' he had told them about._

_"So, where's the big--" Cyborg and Raven cut themselves off in unison, as their jaws dropped to the floor. There, near the edge of the tower, were Robin and Starfire, huddled closely under a blanket._

_"See, told ya it was an emergency." Beast Boy said, grinning widely at their reactions. "So, I was thinking the perfect prank would be to--"_

_"Hey, I'm all for messin' with Robin about the low level stuff. But THIS is where I draw the line, this is serious." Cyborg said, pointing at what was in front of him with a dumbfounded expression on his face, unable to shake certain thoughts from his mind._

_"Calm down, they were obviously watching the stars together and fell asleep; there's really nothing more to it than that... sickos." Raven said, rolling her eyes._

_"Then where'd the blanket come from, hm? And sickos? Didn't I see your jaw on the ground a couple seconds ago?" Beast Boy asked, smirking and raising an eyebrow at Raven. Raven said nothing in response, pulling her hood on. "I could say, 'did you two have a nice nap up there?' or something like that. I can't wait to see the look on his face!" Beast Boy laughed at his own joke._

_"What, you mean the urge to kill?" Cyborg said. "Something tells me Robin wouldn't be such a good sport about it. Take our advice..."_

_"Don't say it." Raven finished for Cyborg._

_"...Fine, you guy's are no fun."_

- - - - - -

Thinking about how Beast Boy had made a fool of himself earlier in the morning, Cyborg and Raven suppressed their laughter. "Yeah, that'll be the day." Cyborg said sarcastically. Glancing at the communicator, Cyborg saw that the tracked location was no longer off the map; before he got any closer to it, Cyborg brought the car to a screeching halt, just outside of an alley.

Beast Boy pulled his face out from the back of the seat in front of him, "Hey Cyborg! What's the--"

"He's in there." Cyborg pointed out the window, to the dark alley ahead of the car.

The Titans stepped out of the car, cautiously approaching the alley. They had mixed feelings about how dark the alley was. The shadows could help conceal their movements, giving them the element of surprise; on the other hand, Iron could be waiting in there for them, ready to attack on a moment's notice. Feeling like the face of a sign saying 'attack me', Cyborg guardedly led the others into the shadows, paying close attention to the blinking dot on Robin's communicator. Like a maze, the alley was the union of four buildings, with multiple turns and corners. Cyborg halted and motioned for the others to stop as they came to a corner, around which was a fairly large open space in the center of the buildings; Cyborg tapped on the communicator and then pointed around the corner, showing the others where Iron was without speaking. Beast Boy and Raven nodded in response; Cyborg began counting down with his fingers. Three. Two. One.

Cyborg jumped out from around the corner with the others, aiming his sonic cannon, charged and ready. "Alright! We got you... cornered?" he stopped and retracted his weapon, when he saw that the area was completely empty. Stepping into the center, Cyborg looked at the communicator once more; he was standing on the blinking dot, "I don't get it, we should be right on top of him..." he said, shaking the communicator like it was broken.

Beast Boy scanned the area carefully. Except for some dumpsters and piles of cardboard boxes, the region was vacant; there definitely wasn't a ten foot tall, cybernetically enhanced super villain anywhere. By chance, Beast Boy looked above to the rooftops, gasping when something caught his eye, "Cyborg! Above you!" he yelled.

"What--" Cyborg turned his attention to the sky, to see a large figure plummeting toward him, holding its arms out. Without enough time to move, Cyborg reached up and caught the grasp of the giant, who he immediately recognized as Iron. The ground beneath the two cracked and uplifted as Iron crashed and their hands became locked in a death grip; metal versus mettle. "Iron... is it?" Cyborg asked, struggling to hold back against Iron's tremendous strength.

"How long did you think I was gonna let you follow me?" Iron growled, pushing Cyborg harder against the broken ground.

"Hang on, I got him!" Beast Boy called; morphing into a rhinoceros, he charged at Iron.

Releasing his grip with one hand, Iron reached to his side and took hold of Beast Boy's horn before he could attack. With one quick flick of the wrist, Beast Boy was hurled across the area and into the brick wall of one of the four buildings; collapsing into a pile of boxes, he reverted to human form. "So weak, so small, so stupid." Iron mocked, with his attention turned to Beast Boy.

"Stupid is as stupid does." Cyborg commented. Shifting his focus to the voice, Iron found himself staring down the barrel of Cyborg's sonic cannon. Cyborg blasted Iron right in the face at point blank range; when the smoke of the explosion cleared, his mask remained undamaged and he seemed unshaken.

Iron laughed, slamming his free hand into Cyborg's once again. "I must admit, you're quite strong." he said, tightening his grip, "But _I'm_ stronger." Iron lifted his hand away once more, readying it to crush Cyborg into the ground.

"Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos!" Raven spoke her incantation; Iron's fist stopped inches from Cyborg's face as it became enveloped in dark energy.

"The empath. Want me to prove your weakness as well?" With a growl, Iron broke through Raven's energy as though he had shattered glass; as his fist slammed into Cyborg, the ground erupted with a plume of dust and debris.

"Cyborg!" Beast Boy yelled, standing up from the pile of boxes. Morphing into a gorilla, Beast Boy ran up to Iron; grabbing him by the arms, he actually managed to push him away toward a wall. Using all his strength to hold Iron at bay, Beast Boy looked back at the plume of dust as it cleared; Cyborg stood up from the hole in the ground, struggling to regain his balance. Iron pushed Beast Boy's hands away, kicking him across the battlefield, over Cyborg's head and to the ground where he landed, face first next to Raven, in human form.

Cyborg looked at the others; turning back and glaring at Iron, he gritted his teeth and rushed at him, growling furiously. Once more, Cyborg and Iron met in a test of strength; however, Cyborg managed to slam him against the wall, breaking the bricks away. "Who's strong now?" Cyborg asked angrily.

"Persistent. You always were." Iron responded strangely, pushing back.

"What?" Cyborg was perplexed by Iron's bizarre answer, staring at his plain and solid black mask.

Massaging the pain from his face, Beast Boy strained to get up; he looked to Raven, who appeared considerably shaken by Iron's ability. "Raven, run! We'll hold him off!" he said, hoping that at least one person could survive this encounter.

"Hah! Fools, you're not going anywhere!" Iron shouted, lifting Cyborg off the ground and throwing him into Beast Boy and Raven.

Groaning, the three labored to move, "He's too strong..." Cyborg said grudgingly.

"He's too... big." Beast Boy added.

"And the bigger they are..." Robin's voice turned the Titans' attention to the sky above them; it might as well have been the singing of angels, however strange that thought sounded. A small silver ball landed in front of Iron; a light flashed and exploded from its position, washing out the visible area in a blinding white radiance. The sound of Starfire's starbolts could be heard, blasting and striking something in the haze.

"The harder they descend!" Starfire finished, and the ground shook.

As the light faded away, the Titans could see Robin and Starfire standing in front of them. The receding luminosity revealed something even more shocking in the distance; Iron had fallen to the ground, both his legs and one of his arms had been destroyed without a trace.

Iron's body quaked as he attempted to pull himself along the ground with one arm; unfortunately for him, he was far too heavy and cumbersome for it to make much of a difference. Nevertheless, he continued to drag his wrecked body along the ground toward the Titans, the bare metal from his broken limbs scraped horribly against the ground. "You, you're alive? I was aiming for your heart..." he trailed off angrily, tilting his masked head upward from the ground to face Robin. Starfire eyed him crossly, her hands still imbued with green energy.

"Cyborg, he... could still pose a... threat. Can you... shut down his motor functions?" Robin asked, breathing heavily as he rested his weight on the wall. Hearing the exertion in Robin's voice, Starfire wanted to turn around and go to him, but decided to keep an eye on Iron who she believed posed a much greater threat to Robin's life. The other Titans stared at Robin for a moment like they had seen a ghost, before Cyborg nodded in response.

"Gladly." he replied, dying for a little payback. Cyborg cracked his metal knuckles as he walked over to Iron, who attempted to grasp at him, but to no avail. Examining Iron's armor, he saw that it had the same unique construction signatures as the cybernetic arms Cloak and Dagger were equipped with. Cyborg, being the expert mechanic he was, glanced a well hidden panel on Iron's back; tearing it open, he found the wires that he deduced were in conjunction with Iron's limbs. Instead of simply severing the wires, he grabbed them as a group and tore them out. Iron's arm, which had been moving about, dropped to the ground with a metallic thud.

"I... failed." Iron said, as he lost control of his movements. Quickly, he turned his head to Starfire, "You, you're the strongest. At least there's some hope now, since_ that _one has so little time left--"

"You will mind your words, or I will remove your ability to speak them!" Starfire yelled scornfully, crouching down and focusing a starbolt at Iron's face. The others were surprised to see Starfire so angry, as this was the one emotion she rarely ever let show. Iron fell silent and turned his face away, obviously struck down by Starfire's threat.

­- - - - - -

Even without his legs, Iron was too big and heavy to be taken away in a car, so a police helicopter was flown in to airlift him away. Iron had not spoken since Starfire had threatened to make him permanently mute; the Titans were quite glad of this, as the sound of his voice had become tremendously infuriating. After exchanging gratitudes with the Titans, the JCPD attached the still silent Mr. Iron to the airlift and began pulling him away.

Cyborg watched intently as Iron was ascending, _'Persistent. You always were.'_ the memory of what Iron had said suddenly hit him. "Who are you!" Cyborg yelled above the sound of the helicopter's blades.

"The world's a different place than it used to be Vic. You should reconsider the path you've taken!" Iron shouted back, now suspended several feet above the rooftops.

"You... know him?" Beast Boy and Raven asked in unison, also watching the helicopter fly away.

"I'm not sure. But he knows me..." Cyborg said, looking at his hands which had been nearly crushed by Iron's grip.

With Mr. Iron finally out of view, Starfire sighed, at long last discharging her energy. "Robin you--" Starfire turned around to see Robin collapsed on the ground, motionless. "Robin!" Starfire ran to his side, attempting to pick him up; his skin was cold, and she could not tell if he was breathing.

"What happened!" The others asked fearfully as they turned around; their attention had been too focused on Iron to have noticed Robin before.

"Robin, he is... okay?" Starfire asked, pulling Robin's arm over her shoulder to hold him up.

Without delay, Cyborg rushed over to them, placing a hand on Robin's neck, "We've gotta get him back to the tower!" Cyborg exclaimed; hearing this caused Starfire and the others to have simultaneous heart attacks. "He needs rest and... food. He passed out from exhaustion." Cyborg finished. The others glared at Cyborg for not finishing his sentence earlier. Feeling the penetrating looks of the Titans, Cyborg reached a hand out to Starfire, "Here, I'll take him back to the car." he offered.

"No, I shall have no difficulty carrying him." she said, picking Robin up fully. The others could hardly contain their laughter as they saw this; it was strange to see Robin cradled in Starfire's arms, the roles were usually reversed. Nonetheless, the Titans decided to suppress their amusement as they made their way back to the T-Car, all were simply glad to know that Robin was alive and well.

- - - - - -

By means of Cyborg's suggestion and Starfire's arms, Robin was returned to the infirmary, just in case. Several scans showed that his body had successfully fought off the poison with the help of the antitoxin; there were harmless traces of it left.

As the sounds of the room slowly faded back into his hearing, Robin opened his eyes, letting the blurry shapes and lights shift into focus. Lifting his head off the pillow, he searched his surroundings with his eyes, trying to figure out where he was; the last thing he remembered was watching the police take Iron away. The room was dark and quiet, except for the ambient sounds of various machines and medical equipment; he realized he was back in the infirmary. He saw that the windows were wide open, letting fresh air in; it was obviously very late at night, as there was no light coming from the outside. Attempting to move his arms, he found that someone was holding on to one of his hands; turning his attention to his right, he saw that Starfire was sleeping peacefully, resting her head on the side of the bed. Seeing her there, his worries disappeared and he smiled.

"I'm sorry for making you worry so much..." he sighed.

Starfire yawned and lifted her head up, her hair had been pushed up on one side and she stood still for a moment, blinking; seeing Robin awake, she immediately fixed her hair back in to place, "Robin, you have awakened!" she said happily, eyes gleaming with joy. Starfire reached over to the table beside the bed, "Here, you must eat." she said, holding a plate in front of Robin. Robin saw the contents of the plate as a pile of green gelatin with pink ginger root floating in it; Starfire's homemade Glorg. "Please, it will help you regain your strength."

Slightly apprehensive, Robin took the plate, looking questioningly at the quivering mass on it. Robin looked to Starfire who smiled hopefully; he didn't want to disappoint her, and he realized he was fairly hungry, only now noticing his stomach growling voraciously and his hands shaking from said hunger. With Starfire's smile in mind, he picked up a large chunk and ate it, _'Hmm. It really does taste like sushi and ice cream.'_ he thought, surprised at the pleasing taste of such an odd mixture of flavors. Astonished by his own hunger, he gulped down the rest of it. "Thanks Star." he said, reassuring her with a smile.

"Ah, wonderful!" she exclaimed.

"So, I guess we can't watch the stars tonight... sorry." he said regretfully, looking at the window. He felt as though the entire day had been wasted while he slept; an opportunity lost.

"Robin... I do not want to lose you. Please, promise me... promise me you will not put yourself in danger like that again." Starfire said, unsure of what his answer would be; he was, after all, the leader of the team, it would be extraordinarily hard for him to keep such a promise.

Robin sat still for a moment, his face feeling warmer by the second, _'Did she really just say that?' _he asked himself. Thinking it was a stupid request, Starfire decided to retract it; however, Robin responded before she could.

"Star... I promise, never again."

* * *

**Author's Note:** I hope those flashback sequences answered most of your questions about part 1. I noticed some people guessed that Raven had given Robin and Starfire the blanket. Just to let you know, that's not entirely inaccurate; I had actually planned on doing that, but I just thought this was cuter. The hint in the last chapter was that Starfire put the blanket back on _her_ bed, where it _belonged_.

Night'sMysteriousStar - Yeah, all the days will probably be two-parters. Unless I felt like writing a 10,000 word chapter all at once; or if I condensed one day into 5000 words, but then I'd feel like I was cheating you out of a lot.

Starfire-is-not-a-wimp - Tofu vs. Meat; I really did over do that part, and I am ashamed...LOL. XD

tigerchic121- Heh, that's exactly it! If there was a prize, you'd have won it. :)

darkengelchic- "but i think ur straying from the plot..." Or _am_ I? Okay, maybe a little; I'm trying to put obstacles in the way for Robin to overcome. It's meant to make you think, "Can Robin still convince Starfire to stay, with all this stuff going on?"

**Next Chapter Preview:** After Mr. Iron is put in jail, and a strange announcement on the news, Cyborg sneaks off to confront him in person. Robin wastes no time in making up for a lost day as he tries to figure out something Starfire would consider 'special'. Finally, a day that goes without incident? Day 3, Part 1: Back on Track.


	5. Day 3, Part 1: Back on Track

**10 Leisurely Days**

by Blue Ten

**Summary:**

Robin finds out that Starfire will be leaving for Tamaran in 10 days. Keeping his discovery a secret, he has a little over a week to give her a reason to stay. But when things keep getting in the way, will he even get the chance? RobinxStarfire

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Teen Titans.

* * *

Day 3, Part One: Back on Track

The morning sun broke through the open window, catching the many hovering particles of dust in its rays, illuminating them like fireflies which danced and floated playfully about the increasing radiance. A gentle breeze floated through, picking up the plain white curtains, causing them to sway and wave like calm currents on the surface of the ocean. The bright and warm light of dawn had never carried with it more promise for Robin than he believed this morning did; as the sun woke him from his dreams, he brought a hand over his face to cover his squinting eyes. Removing the blanket and stepping down from his bed, Robin stretched and took in the fresh air.

Robin looked around his room, which was the most unfamiliar to him out of all the others in the entire tower, except for Raven's of course. A single bed with simply colored sheets was situated by the window, which was draped with plain off-white curtains. A big empty carpeted floor made up most of the space in the room; the walls were decorated by several unused desks, bookcases, and cabinets. Robin always thought his room could use a little more personality, unfortunately he had been a diehard workaholic for so long that he hardly remembered what his personality was; but he didn't mind it so much, his room was a nice break from the cluttered and suffocating Crime Lab, where he had normally spent most of his time. This morning was different though, after waking up in the infirmary at night, feeling oddly refreshed, he decided to finally use his room as more than just a storage area for his uniforms. He wondered if it was Starfire who made him feel better; actually, he knew it was her. And it was about time he returned the favor.

Suddenly the alarm clock on the side of his bed snapped him back to reality as it beeped continuously; shutting it off, he realized he had actually woken up before it sounded, which was very unusual. Though he had just been poisoned and spent the entirety of the previous day passed out in the infirmary, he felt surprisingly good as he stretched once more, ignoring the bandage on his shoulder. With Mr. Iron out of the way, he felt like he could get back on track with what really mattered. He wanted to use this day simply to spend time with Starfire, trying to find out something... some way to make these last seven days special in her eyes; he could only hope that she wouldn't mind a little extra attention, he knew he wouldn't mind giving her that attention.

Robin opened the sliding door to his closet; the interior was made up of his uniforms suspended by hangers, his boots lining the floor, spare masks piled on a top shelf, and many other articles of clothing hidden away in drawers. Seeing this, he was reminded of the time when he left to seek training from the true master, and while he was away, Beast Boy had convinced everyone to dress up in his uniforms; he remembered how Starfire looked, the suit had been a little too small for her... At the thought, Robin wished he was taller, after all, they were nearly the same age, he might even be a little older; and yet, in his mind, she towered over him. Turning his attention to the far end, he saw a bit of black and white which abruptly broke the color scheme. Robin looked at the tuxedo he had worn to Kitten's prom, smiling and laughing inwardly as he grabbed a bath towel and pulled a uniform off the rack.

- - - - - -

Starfire, having become quite fond of the strange way that humans sleep over the past couple of days, rested with her head on the pillows; she found it to be nearly as comfortable as the way she normally slept, and the softness of the pillows seemed much better suited for the face as opposed to the feet. At the sound of her Mumbo-shaped alarm clock, Starfire reached out and switched it off. Sitting up and yawning, she let her blanket fall off as she stretched; when the light which peeked through the closed purple curtains caught her eye, Starfire tiredly flew up from her bed and made her way to the window, still quite exhausted from all of yesterday's 'excitement'. Throwing the curtains open, she closed her eyes and let the sunlight hit her face, immediately waking her up. She opened her eyes to see the ocean sparkling and shimmering brilliantly in the early morning sunlight; the scene was so beautiful that she could not contain her smile.

After coming so close to losing Robin, Starfire decided that she would spend as much time with him today as she possibly could, whether he liked it or not; however, she was almost certain that he would not... She often wondered if he ever became annoyed by her constant companionship, he never seemed to be, but there were many things he didn't show on the surface. But she couldn't afford to think about such things at this moment; she wanted to make the best of this day, which looked to be the beginning of a magnificent one. Shaking away any doubts from her mind, she let an optimistic smile adorn her expression as she turned away from the window.

Starfire opened the door to her closet. Within were many pairs of her usual uniform; her purple top, miniskirt, boots and gloves. However, she also stored many Tamaranian relics in it, like the Gorka pipe, and various trinkets for use in obscure holidays and celebrations such as Blorthog. Out of all the Titans, she probably had the most varied wardrobe; she had kept the dress she wore to the prom, as well as the wedding gown she was forced to wear, which she held on to for... uncertain reasons. Without bothering to pick out a new uniform, Starfire grabbed a bath towel and headed for her door.

- - - - - -

Cyborg sat alone on the couch in the living room, unable to use the night for much recharging, he had been up since very early in the morning, as evidenced by the dark circle under his human eye. His mind was plagued by the words of Iron, _'Persistent. You always were.' _Cyborg cringed at the thought, _'The world's a different place than it used to be Vic. You should reconsider the path you've taken!"_ more words surfaced in his mind, which he shook his head at. Cyborg picked up the remote, deciding to take his mind off of these things by watching some TV. As he switched the power on, the screen and audio faded in to show the morning news. The anchorwoman sat at her table holding papers in her hands; a graphic floated in the top right of the screen, reading, 'Breaking News!'

"--as we bring you more on last night's apprehension. With the help of the Teen Titans, a man who we now know as _Mr. Iron _was taken into police custody last night." she said.

_'**Mr.** Iron... It can't be just a coincidence.' _Cyborg thought, hearing for the first time the prefix attached to Iron's name.

"Apparently, this man was the mastermind behind an underground criminal organization known as _The Tempest_. This organization was in connection with the recent strain of bank robberies perpetrated by Cloak and Dagger, or Lucas and Maxwell Redstrom, child operatives of this group and former students at West Jump City High. Police are working on identifying this Mr. Iron, however he has not revealed anything more than his alias and his position in The Tempest; and finding a DNA sample has proven to be quite difficult, with Mr. Iron's unusual anatomy. We'll have more on this story as it unfolds, tonight at eleven. On a lighter note, preparations for the annual--" the broadcast was cut off as Cyborg hit the power button. In sheer frustration, he threw the remote at the couch, growling under his breath.

_'Mastermind? But Star said he was under orders...' _he thought, resting his face in his hands. _'I've gotta figure this out... make sense of it somehow.'_ Cyborg turned his attention to the main doors.

- - - - - -

Beast Boy snored noisily as he remained in the same position as he had been since he collapsed on his bed from exhaustion at night. On the bottom bunk, the upper half of his torso hung over the side of the bed, while his legs and the weight of his blanket were the only things that kept him from falling off. With every breath he took, his body shifted further over the edge; finally, with his next inhalation, he fell flat on his head in a pile of clothes, waking immediately.

"...Ouch." he said in a groggy daze, fingers twitching. Rolling over to sit up properly, he massaged an aching pain from his neck.

After fully waking, Beast Boy realized his stomach was growling; standing up and traipsing through the trash heap he called a room, Beast Boy opened the door. Entering the hallway, he made his way to the common room, which he was surprised to find completely vacant.

- - - - - -

Raven, who had already awakened and performed her morning rituals before the others, remained in her dim lit room, meditating. Her mind was somewhat focused on last night's battle; she wondered what technology allowed Iron to break through her control, or was it sheer strength that let him do so? The thought was frightening. _'Raven, run! We'll hold him off!' _Raven broke out of her trance when she wondered what in the world had possessed her to think of that; regaining her concentration, she smiled knowing that she had friends who were willing to do such a selfless... albeit stupid thing for her.

- - - - - -

However enthusiastic about the day both were, Robin and Starfire could hardly keep their eyes open as they walked through the hallway, trying to find the bathroom, unaware of the other's presence. As they came upon a familiar door, they reached their hands out to grab the handle. Startled when their hands met, both jumped back, hearts pounding violently in their chests; if anything, a good scare was the perfect wake up call for the two.

"Oh! Robin, it is you." Starfire said, calming herself. She noticed that Robin was holding a towel and a change of clothes in his arms, "If you were going to use the bathing room, I can wait." she offered kindly.

"Huh--Oh, no it's alright, you can go first. I'm in no hurry." he responded quickly, noticing the towel in her hands.

"Why thank you! I shall not take long!" Starfire said with a smile, rushing into the bathroom and closing the door behind her.

One hour later. Robin stood in the hallway outside the bathroom door, now considering having a serious talk with Cyborg about installing more bathrooms in the tower; it was pretty ironic that the tower had so many extra rooms, but only one bathroom. Of course, he wasn't at all upset with Starfire; as she had explained before, bathing is a very important custom for her people, it was not unusual for a Tamaranian to spend several hours just washing; they had surprisingly excellent hygiene for a race of warriors. Robin turned his attention back to the door when he heard the handle move.

"I hope I did not make you wait too long." Starfire said with an apologetic smile, stepping out of the bathroom.

"Don't worry about it, it's--it's--it's" When he saw her, his eyes started to wander absentmindedly and his breath was caught painfully in his throat. Starfire was standing outside the door, with nothing but a towel wrapped around her body, held in place by one of her hands. Though the towel did well to cover her, it was still... a towel. Her hair was shiny and weighted down by water, causing her bangs to fall in front of her eyes; she pushed them aside with one hand as she waited for a response from Robin. "It's--It's alright." he said turning his face away and blocking his view with a hand, as if to forcibly keep himself from looking back; his face was now bright red, and he was thankful that he happened to be covering it with his hand, as he waited to hear Starfire's footsteps retreat down the hallway back to her room.

"Robin, why are you looking away from me?" Starfire asked, sounding reasonably confused. Robin's shoulders tensed up; if ever there was a question he couldn't answer, that was it. _'Why **are** you looking away? If she wants you to look, then look!' _his thoughts betrayed him, _'Shut up!' _he told himself. Thinking about it further, he hoped he wasn't offending her by looking away... He had to come up with something; something she would understand.

"Uh... It's an earth-guy thing." he responded finally, with a slight crack in his voice, still keeping his face covered.

"Oh I see. Worry not, I shall depart." She said promptly, turning around and making her way down the hall; on her planet it was not common to be overly modest around such close friends, but she respected Robin's culture and figured she should try to conform to it in some ways. When he decided she was far enough away that he could look again, he noticed that she was tiptoeing down the hall, staying close to the walls as she quietly opened the door to her room and sauntered in. She looked like she was trying to avoid being seen; he wondered why she didn't care if _he_ saw her... Finally exhaling, he walked into the bathroom; turning on the faucet, he splashed his face with cold water.

- - - - - -

Fully dressed once more, Starfire walked back down the hall, realizing she had left her uniform in the bathroom. As she came to the door, she heard the sound of running water; knowing that Robin was still inside, she decided to come back later. About to walk away, something caught her eye when she noticed that the door was slightly opened; Robin's mask was lying on the counter. Suddenly, she became stricken with curiosity, as she always had this pressing, almost painful desire to know what his eyes looked like; however, she decided against jumping in on him while he was in the shower, an action which would be frowned upon on both planets.

Forgetting about her desires for now, she turned away from the door and floated down the hallway to the common room. As she walked, Starfire started thinking about how she could get to spend some time with Robin, alone; he was usually so busy. But she knew she had to find a way, yesterday's events had made her realize just how much her feelings toward him had grown over the years. Stepping from the hallway into the main room, she noticed that something was slightly off about the atmosphere; the usual intoxicating smell of breakfast was absent, and there was no laughing, joking, or even yelling to fill the silence. With confused eyes, Starfire scanned the living room, it was utterly empty except for a small patch of green slumped down on the couch.

"Friend Beast Boy? Where are the others?" Starfire inquired.

Beast Boy turned around, looking sleepy, "Cyborg's gone, and Raven's--"

"Right here." Raven spoke from the corner, where she had been completely out of notice until now.

"Whoa! When did you..." Beast Boy trailed off, looking flabbergasted, "Anyway, Cyborg's gone."

"Gone? Where to?" Robin questioned, entering from the hall behind Starfire, drying and messing his hair up with a small towel.

"Don't know. I tried contacting him, but he shut off his communicator. And that's not even the biggest problem... I mean... WHO'S GONNA COOK BREAKFAST NOW?" Beast Boy asked, standing up and wildly flailing his arms about.

"How about **you**?" Raven asked, in a 'no duh' sort of tone.

"Well, I've never said this but... Cyborg's a much better cook than me. I mean, yeah, a lot of what he cooks _is_ meat, but the edible stuff is good too." Beast Boy admitted.

"You need not worry friend, perhaps I could cook the breakfast this morning." Starfire suggested with a wide smile. Beast Boy and Raven shared the same undecided expression, neither had ever been quite sure about Starfire's cooking; admittedly, neither had ever actually tried it, but _it_ usually crawled away before they even got the chance. Robin, who normally would have joined the others in their state of uncertainty, instead gave Starfire a reassuring smile and nodded; after all, he had actually found the Glorg to be delicious, and was willing to try anything else she could cook. "Splendid! I shall prepare Nuphgäs cakes with Gorka berries!" Starfire exclaimed happily, already searching through the cupboards in the kitchen.

"Uh... Star? None of that's _alive_ is it?" Beast Boy asked warily.

"No, it is mainly fruit and spongy yellow fungus." Starfire replied, setting down her ingredients on the counter.

"Great, nothing like the smell of... fungus in the morning." Raven commented sarcastically.

"Oh, I agree! Nothing quite compares to the scent of freshly baked Nuphgäs cakes! When served with Gorka berries, it is a traditional meal prepared for..." Starfire glanced over at Robin, blushing slightly as she quickly turned away. "For breakfast!" she finished vaguely, now realizing she had absentmindedly chosen a fairly strange meal to cook. She was unwilling to say that this particular combination of foods was usually prepared by Tamaranians for their... significant others, when they wanted to express certain affections; it was for these reasons, that she decided to put different ingredients in Beast Boy and Raven's share.

Even with all their doubts, Beast Boy and Raven had to admit that the fungus did smell pretty good as it was being baked in the oven; it had a sweet scented aroma to it that was something akin to spicy cinnamon and cookies. They watched with rumbling stomachs as Starfire removed the cakes from the oven and proceeded to pour crushed purple berries on top. Starfire hummed a strange tune to herself as she gleefully carried four plates over to the kitchen table, setting one down in front of each Titan, making sure to give Beast Boy and Raven the proper versions. To everyone's surprise, they looked like oddly shaped pieces of cake with blueberry sauce on top. Sitting down in the seat adjacent to Robin, Starfire picked up a fork and looked around at the others with a smile. Still a little apprehensive, Beast Boy and Raven turned to each other, then to Robin, giving him a look that lucidly said, 'You first.'

Without hesitation, Robin picked up his fork, scooped up a fairly large amount and took a bite. Starfire watched hopefully while Beast Boy and Raven wondered if he was going to spit it out. Robin swallowed, "Hmm. It's like cheesecake, with raspberry topping." he said, with a satisfied smile. Starfire giggled and clapped her hands together. Beast Boy and Raven looked at each other in disbelief; turning their attention back to their plates, Beast Boy shoveled a good amount into his mouth while Raven took a bite. Suddenly, their expressions changed dramatically.

"So, how is it?" Robin asked, raising an eyebrow at their odd facial expressions.

Beast Boy looked to be in pain as he forcibly gulped down his mouthful, "Feet." he said hoarsely, grasping at his neck.

"What?" Robin questioned.

"Feet. It tastes like feet!" Beast Boy repeated, frantically grabbing a glass of water and guzzling down the entire cup.

"What are you talking about?" Robin took another forkful and ate it, causing Beast Boy to cringe, "It tastes exactly like cheesecake." he confirmed.

"No, it tastes _exactly _like feet!" Beast Boy sat up, trying to talk some sense in to Robin. Starfire quickly became worried; if Beast Boy could tell the difference, then it wouldn't be long before they found out that they were given different meals.

"How do you even know what a foot tastes like?" Robin asked, eating more of his cake.

"Well, he _does_ spend half the time with one in his mouth." Raven cracked a trademark monotone joke, having quickly gotten over her initial reaction to the food. Beast Boy sat back down in his chair, shot down by Raven's comment, much to Starfire's relief.

"Please, if you are a vegetarian, then why do you often have a foot in your mouth?" Starfire asked, unfamiliar with the context of Raven's remark. Suddenly, Robin burst out laughing, and Raven turned away to hide her chuckling, while Beast Boy crossed his arms and grunted in protest. Starfire looked confused, but she was sure it was some form of human witticism she had yet to understand that made them laugh; she smiled as she watched Robin holding his sides as he attempted to stop laughing, it was not very often that he would let such a raw emotion escape.

Wiping tears from his eyes, Robin turned to Starfire, "Sorry Star, we weren't laughing at you, it's just that--" he started.

"It is a joke yes?" she said, beaming. This relieved Robin quite a lot; he hated himself when he laughed at something she said because it happened to be so unbelievably cute or funny and she didn't realize it, always afraid that he had hurt her by doing so.

"Yeah, exactly." he responded, his chuckles, but not his smile, finally subsiding. Turning back to his plate, he took another bite of cake.

"Ugh, I can't watch this anymore!" Beast Boy stood up and walked to the couch, completely losing his appetite.

- - - - - -

The Titans' plates remained on the kitchen table; Robin and Starfire's had been completely finished off, while in perfect contrast, Beast Boy and Raven's were left with forks sticking out from the mostly uneaten cakes. Robin seemed content with what he had eaten, and Beast Boy wondered what in the world was wrong with him, as the four sat on and around the couch together.

Starfire, not wanting to waste a moment of the day, quickly turned to Robin, "Now that we have finished breakfast, perhaps we may venture outdoors to enjoy this glorious morning?" she asked. Even though she wanted to direct her question only to Robin, she had to include the others, so as not to sound too obvious.

"Great idea... Matter of fact, why don't we go wherever you want... to make up for yesterday. Also, it'll be my way of making good on that promise, y'know, staying out of danger..." Robin suggested, nervously scratching the back of his head as he often did; he hoped that what he said didn't sound too strange to Beast Boy and Raven, who were now eyeing him curiously.

Starfire's eyes gleamed in response, "Oh, but there are so many places. Perhaps the park--or maybe the beach---or possibly the mall of shopping?" Starfire replied, excitedly indecisive.

"Heh, how about we figure it out as we go along?" Robin chuckled, glad to know that perhaps this day would go smoothly after all.

"Uh, I hate to burst your bubble and all, but didn't you schedule training for today?" Beast Boy asked. Robin hung his head forward, his hopes immediately shattered; he _did _schedule training for today... about a week ago, before he even knew Starfire was going to leave. Before Robin was forced to concede, Starfire spoke up.

"...But we cannot very well train without Cyborg here, correct?" Starfire asked hurriedly; however, she knew what the answer would be, Robin would never skip training to have fun.

"Yeah, Star's right! If Cyborg decides to take the day off, then so do we!" Robin replied, deciding it was as good a reason as any; Robin felt his muscles tense as Beast Boy and Raven eyed him with even more curiosity. Starfire was surprised, to say the least, she never expected Robin to go along with her suggestion; it made her wonder what wonderful manner of affliction had come over him.

"I... suppose." Raven said, keeping a close eye on Robin's strange mannerisms.

"Wonderful! Come friends, we must not waste a moment of the day off!" Starfire suddenly appeared behind Beast Boy and Raven, and began leading them to the doors along with Robin. When she was close enough, Starfire let go of the others and took Robin by the arm, pulling him through the doorway. Raven began following after them, stopping when her cloak became caught on something. Turning around, she saw that Beast Boy had grabbed her cloak with one hand and was holding her in place.

"You two go ahead, we'll catch up!" he yelled through the doorway. Raven glared at him; Beast Boy then whispered something in her ear, to which she backed away and blinked a couple times in response. Suddenly her expression changed to a half smiling, almost mischievous look.

"...I'm in." she said in agreement.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I updated extra early, because I felt like it:) I hope you had as much fun reading this chapter as I did writing it; it feels good to take a break from the action, and this is going to be an extended break. Now that I've gotten the introduction of The Tempest out of the way, expect the fic to get a lot fluffier from this point on, as Robin starts to make a fool out of himself for Starfire and vice versa, to some extent. ;) At 20,000+ words, this fic is officially longer than anything I've ever written before in the history of... ever.

starfire's flame - ...Yes. In fact, that's a very important part of the story, but it won't happen for a while. For future reference, I'll answer pretty much any question anyone asks about the fic. :)

nickygirl - "cute.. update soon?" Is that a rhetorical question?

CatGirl R and S Fan - Of course I will! You can count on it!

**Special thanks to all those who have been R&R-ing:** MistyMagicWaterflower aka xImmortalxRomanticx (Phew! Nice Pen Name!), **Mysterious Star of the Night, **Neko Saphira,** tigerchic121**, emma, nickygirl, xoxoxMelxoxox, **Exhile87**, **Sasscreech**, **darkangelchic**, Slythergrl2004, **CatGirl R and S Fan**, **iluvrobbie**, **strodgfrgf**, **PrInCeSs 2006**, Tara,** AvePlateada**, RobStar119,** Starfire-is-not-a-wimp**,** Princess Angelfire of NZ**, **starfire's flame**, sugarland31, **-'.EHWIES.'-**, **realfanficts**, pesche, YRProcks66, tkdchick, Munchlax387, Super Chocolate Bear, StarfireXxXRobin, the winds, **clueless90**. I value all of your wonderful input! Those in bold are the people I recognize (My Favorites :P). If I forgot anyone, go ahead and wail on me in your next review. :)

**Next Chapter Preview:** Cyborg returns, downtrodden and close lipped about where he had been; however, his spirits are raised when he joins in on what Beast Boy and Raven are plotting for Robin and Starfire. Left alone in the park together, Starfire decides to take Robin on a little flight through the city. Next up is Day 3, Part Two: Special to Me, Special to You.


	6. Day 3, Part 2: Special to Me

**10 Leisurely Days**

by Blue Ten

**Summary:**

Robin finds out that Starfire will be leaving for Tamaran in 10 days. Keeping his discovery a secret, he has a little over a week to give her a reason to stay. But when things keep getting in the way, will he even get the chance? RobinxStarfire

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Teen Titans.

* * *

Day 3, Part Two: Special to Me, Special to You

Sitting on a chair in a large metal hallway lined by several large glass windows, Cyborg stared angrily through the thick glass at the figure on the other side. Iron, now just a torso, an arm and a head, had been braced up by several vertical poles in his cell, to keep him from falling over; his black mask had not been removed, so he remained just as mysterious as before, save for the vague idea of identity that Cyborg had placed on him. Iron was connected to the wall by wires, a constant stream of energy being fed to his power cell. Cyborg waited for the guards to leave before he started speaking.

"Who are you?" Cyborg repeated the question he had asked too late the night before. Iron's head, the only part of his body he had any control over, shifted upward to face Cyborg in response.

"You know..." Iron replied vaguely.

Cyborg sighed, his suspicion had been confirmed, but it seemed that this was not the same person he once knew, "What happened to you?" he asked, "Why?"

"As I told you before, the world's a much different place than it used to be. Times change, and people change with the times. You of all people should understand the need to better one's self--"

"I didn't get this way because I wanted to... I'm like _this_ because I had no other choice. If I had it my way... If I could be human again I'd--"

"And that's the difference between you and me Vic; you prefer weakness to strength." Iron interrupted. "Do you see this armor?" Iron looked down at his body, the whole that Starfire had blasted in his chest remained, "It's the same technology that made you what you are."

"My tech..." Cyborg trailed off, staring at the black and gold armor, "Looks like you lost something in the translation; Star's powers could never damage me that much. But still, how did you get a hold of--"

"We have our ways. I owe my newfound strength to you."

"You gave up your human self to gain power, didn't you? That's not strength, it's corruption." Cyborg stated. Iron said nothing, exhaling angrily in response. "I know you're not behind this." Cyborg said, focusing on Iron's mask, "You're under orders. Whose orders?"

"So, your friend dead yet?" Iron asked cruelly, avoiding the question entirely. Much to Iron's surprise, a slight grin spread across Cyborg's face.

"Nope. Matter of fact, he made a full recovery; you gotta work on that aim of yours." Cyborg mocked.

"Good, he's strong. A perfect addition; the same goes for that girl."

"What's wrong with you? You used to be a hot-head, you wouldn't let anyone get in your way or tell you what to do; now look at you, you're taking the fall for this Tempest. The guy I remember--"

"The guy you remember, died, along with all his weakness."

"Then _that's _the difference between you and me, _I'm_ still alive." Cyborg stood up, turning to face the exit, "We're done here. I've heard enough." he finished, walking away. Having dealt with The Hive and Brother Blood first hand, Cyborg knew that operatives of organizations like this were loyal to the end, willing to keep their mouths shut even if it meant death... especially if they've been brainwashed; he wasn't going to get any more information out of Iron.

"When the end comes, which path will you choose?" Iron shouted from his cell as Cyborg disappeared from view, "Strength or weakness, life or death?"

Cyborg stopped at the door, turning his head to look back down the hallway, _'He's lost his mind...'_ he thought. As Cyborg left, the sound of the heavy steel door closing, echoed through the hallway.

- - - - - -

The cerulean sky, decorated by light and feathery white clouds, held high the brightly shining sun which illuminated the white sands of the beach with a spectacular radiant glow; another beautiful day. The storm of many days passed seemed nothing more than a distant memory now, fading, giving way to a bright and serene calm. The clear blue waters of the ocean, lapping quietly against the shore, shimmered playfully with each wave catching the rays of sunlight. A comforting wind carried itself softly along, cooling the warm air and rustling the leaves of the many palm trees that lined the narrow strip of beach. In wondrous harmony, the sound of wind and sea created quite the symphony; massive and distant, the ebb and flow of the ocean remained in grand contrast to the whispering breeze, near and fleeting.

On one side of the strip was the city, with its towering skyscrapers and crowded streets, on the other was the ocean, stretching on forever with the only obstruction being Titans Tower in the distance and the bridge that connected both sides of the bay. Deciding on the park as a destination, the Titans were taking the scenic route, walking along the beach until they saw fit to venture through the city. Robin watched as Starfire flew above the water, running a hand across the surface as she did; all the while he thought about how great it must feel to fly, he wished he could be out there with her, but unfortunately all the unbridled joy in the world couldn't lift him off the ground, though he did feel much lighter when he was around her. Beast Boy and Raven remained far behind, walking slowly to intentionally give Robin and Starfire space. Robin turned his attention to them for a moment, finding it strange that they had separated themselves from the group like that, but he was inwardly thankful that they had done so because it was what he wanted... exactly what he wanted; they walked abnormally close, Beast Boy wore a perpetual grin on his face as he talked, this made Robin wonder what they were up to. Shaking his head, he decided it was none of his concern.

Starfire happily splashed at the surface as she flew along, admiring the remarkably clear water. Turning her head to the side, she wished Robin could join her, wondering how he would react to her taking him by the hands and flying around with him; would he enjoy it, or would he be frightened? She got to thinking that if it became too difficult for him to hold on, she could hold him close and... She saw in the reflection on the water that her face had become bright red; placing her hands on her cheeks, Starfire giggled at her own strange thoughts. She turned away from the water, to find the stone wall of a boardwalk incoming at full speed; unable to stop herself in time, she ended up planting her face into it.

"Starfire!" Robin called, after getting over his initial shock. He rushed out into the shallow water to the area under the wall, holding out his arms as Starfire slowly peeled herself away from the wall. She descended lightly, as if floating down, and Robin caught her with ease. "You okay?" he asked, trying to mask his amusement at the dazed expression on her face.

Starfire realized she could have easily stopped herself from falling, the impact had no effect on her at all, but she decided to go along with this rather agreeable turn of events. "I am... unharmed." she said, a little embarrassed that she had not been paying attention to what was clearly in front of her. Noticing Robin's grip loosen, she quickly spoke again, "But I am... a little dizzy." she lied.

"How come you didn't notice the boardwalk?" he inquired, smiling through slight confusion; still carrying her, he began walking to the shore. "Something on your mind?" he asked, wondering if she had been preoccupied by what was going to happen in seven days...

"...Yes, there has been much on my mind as of recently." she said, sounding a little sad, "But I am afraid you are the last person... who would want to know." she finished, knowing now that it was much harder to voice these feelings than she anticipated; she felt bad for putting so much pressure on him while they were stranded on that planet, when he obviously didn't want to ruin what they already had by saying... whatever it was he might have said. Similar thoughts were running through her mind at this moment. "But it is nothing important!" she added quickly, seeing his expression change.

_'The last person?'_ he thought to himself, _'She sounded sad... I knew she didn't want to leave.' _he turned his attention back to her, she looked like something was weighing heavily on her thoughts, _'Quick, you gotta say something to take her mind off of it.' _he told himself. As they reached the shore, Robin set Starfire down on the ground; looking at her as she regained her balance, he tried to figure out something he could say to make her feel better, "Star... I'm sure that whatever it is, you'll make the right choice." he said the first thing that came to his mind. Again, he unintentionally created a situation where he wondered if he said too much; after all, from her perspective, he shouldn't even know whether it was a matter of choice or not. Panicking, Robin wanted desperately to retract his statement; but it was too late, Starfire was already smiling... _'Wait, smiling?'_

Unexpectedly, Starfire embraced Robin tightly, "Thank you. You do not know what that means to me." she said. Suddenly she pulled away, appearing flustered, "--Even though it is something small... insignificant... unimportant!" she giggled nervously, looking around frantically for something she could change the subject with. Starfire saw the top of a Ferris Wheel on the boardwalk, "The park of amusement! We must... check it out!" she said, flying up to the top of the boardwalk. Robin stood still for a moment, his arms held out in the air as though he was still hugging her.

- - - - - -

Raven and Beast Boy rejoined the group to stare at the large banner that had been placed on the entrance to the amusement park; in big bold words it read, 'Closed For Repairs.' Apparently, the Ferris Wheel had been titled by the wind and waves during the storm, causing the stone to break apart under it. Held up by several cables, the Ferris Wheel was kept from falling into the ocean as a construction crew worked on repairing the ground and pulling it back into place.

"Whoa." Beast Boy put it simply, tilting his head to the side, trying to straighten out the leaning wheel in his view.

"Well, I guess we can't go today." Robin turned to Starfire who looked a little disappointed, "How about we come back in, I don't know... a week?"

"A week... but I, um..." Starfire's eyes began wandering fretfully, causing Robin to painfully realize what he had done, "Oh look! Ice cream!" she said, pointing to a small stand just outside the closed amusement park. "Come friends, let us partake of the creamed ice!" in an instant, Starfire appeared behind the others and proceeded to push them as a group to the ice cream stand.

A young girl around Robin's age with shoulder length brunette hair stood behind the counter, dressed in a red and white uniform. A delighted expression adorned her face at the sight of the Teen Titans; she was ecstatic as her favorite Titan caught her eye, the Boy Wonder. Starfire walked up to the counter, the girl was of course disappointed that Robin didn't go first, though she was still happy to be serving ice cream to superheroes.

"What'll it be… Starfire?" the girl asked, now recognizing the Titan who stood in front of her. Starfire seemed astonished that someone knew her name; taking it upon herself to learn the girl's name in return, she examined the small gold nametag on her shirt, which read, 'Kathryn'.

"I am not sure... perhaps..." Starfire examined the menu above the stand, and then turned her attention to the tubs of ice cream behind the glass. Kathryn began tapping a foot behind the counter.

Beast Boy snuck up behind the counter, "Pst. Give her the weirdest flavor on the menu." he whispered behind his hand to the girl, before sneaking away again; all this went unnoticed by Starfire, who was still intently examining the flavors.

"...Um, might I suggest the cookie dough with bubble gum?" Kathryn raised an eyebrow, still tapping her foot.

Starfire gasped, "That sounds marvelous! Yes, I will have that!" she exclaimed. Without delay, Kathryn put one scoop on a cone and handed it to Starfire, quickly turning her attention to Robin. "I would like all the toppings on this please." Starfire said, holding out the cone with an innocent smile.

Narrowing her eyes, Kathryn grabbed the cone and poured several toppings on it, "Sure thing, here ya go." she said hurriedly, tossing the cone back into Starfire's hands.

"Thank you--"

Literally picking up the ice cream stand, Kathryn moved it away from Starfire and slammed it on the ground in front of Robin, "So, what'll _you_ be having, Robin?" she asked with an interesting tone to her voice, leaning over the counter and resting her chin in her palm. "Haven't had much business down here since the storm, so this is a welcome surprise." she said, batting her sapphire blue eyes. Starfire didn't like how with every word she spoke, Kathryn seemed to move closer to Robin's face, as though she would suddenly steal a kiss.

"Vanilla. Just one scoop." Robin asked for the only flavor he trusted. "So, how much do we owe you..." he inquired, with a slight pause.

"Kathryn, but _you _can call me Kat." she said, with a rather blatant emphasis on 'you'. Off to the side, Starfire's ice cream began melting in her clenched fist as she growled 'Gremplork' under her breath. "Oh, and it's on me, I could never make youpay for this." Kathryn finished, handing the plain vanilla cone to Robin, giving him a wink that Starfire took more notice of than he did. "You sure you don't want anything else on that?" She asked, looking at the bare cone, "Maybe, sprinkles?"

"Actually I--"

"If Robin does not want the sprinkles, then you will not give him the sprinkles! Why must you pressure him?" Starfire demanded, pushing Robin away from the stand; he held a finger up in the air as though he was about to say something, while his motionless feet slid across the ground. As she continued to lead the oblivious Robin away, Starfire now realized she was not very fond of cats _or _kittens.

"Didn't realize he was taken." Kathryn said, moping. Turning her attention back to the counter, she saw Beast Boy pressing his face up against the glass, examining the tubs of ice cream closely.

"So, got anything without ice cream in it?" he asked, pulling his face away like a suction cup. Suddenly, a hand reached out and began dragging him away by the ear. "Ouch!"

"This was your idea, so you're helping with it." Raven said flatly.

Kathryn was left alone on the boardwalk, slumped over on the counter of her stand, "...Maybe I should quit my day job."

- - - - - -

The park, beautiful as ever, was populated once more by the people of Jump City, who finally realized it was safe to go outside again. Many different games were being played across the grassy green fields; from Frisbee to football, the entire city was taking advantage of the good weather. The Titans however, remained off the beaten path, exploring the lesser known areas of the park for a good change of venue, but mostly to avoid any more crazed fan girls. The leaves of the short but numerous trees created a canopy that nearly blocked out the bright sunlight, letting it pierce through in dazzling luminous rays that shifted and flickered as the wind rustled the treetops. Walking along a forgotten stone pathway, the Titans admired this section of the park they had never seen before; with Robin and Starfire's attention turned to the environment, Beast Boy motioned for Raven to stop and they began to slowly back away. With a metallic thud, they came to a halt as they bumped into something.

Both turned around to see Cyborg looking down at them, confused, "Hey what's--" he started.

"Shhh!" Beast Boy covered Cyborg's mouth, "We're trying to ditch 'em." he whispered.

"But why?" Cyborg asked, his voice muffled under Beast Boy's hand.

"We'll tell you later." Both Beast Boy and to Cyborg's surprise, Raven, began pulling him in the opposite direction that Robin and Starfire were walking, still seemingly unaware. Making their way outside of the miniature forest with Cyborg in tow, Beast Boy and Raven let go of him.

Beast Boy grinned at the opening to the trees, feeling like he had accomplished something of great significance. Hiding his amusement, he turned around, facing Cyborg, "So... who was he?" he asked simply.

"You knew where I was?" Cyborg asked, almost frowning.

"Hey, I may be dumb, but I'm not deaf." Beast Boy cracked a joke at his own expense. Raven started to chuckle, but immediately covered her mouth and masked it as coughing.

Cyborg sighed, "Alright... I guess there's no avoiding it." he gave up, turning his eye to the left, searching his memories. "Back when I was an athlete, there was this other kid... I won't tell you his name, just in case. Anyway, we'd always end up in competitions together; we had this tense rivalry y'know? Always trying to outdo one another... He called himself Mr. Iron back then too." Beast Boy and Raven gasped at the revelation.

"No way... You mean that guy was human once?" Beast Boy asked, thinking about the giant they had fought on that day, wondering how that thing could have been a normal person at one time.

"Yeah... After the _accident_, I kinda dropped off the face of the earth. He went on to the Olympics, and I haven't heard anything about him... until now." Cyborg looked to the ground.

"Did you tell them who he was?" Raven questioned.

"I figured they'd find out eventually, there's gotta be some of him left in that shell. I just... couldn't do it, as much as I hate what he made himself into. He was the most egotistical, self absorbed, arrogant--"

"Your best friend, huh?" Beast Boy interrupted, as if understanding completely.

"Yeah." Beast Boy and Cyborg smiled at each other in that buddy-buddy way.

"Oh look, I'm in the middle of a Kodak moment." Raven commented impassively, smirking slightly under her hood.

"Psh. What are you talking about?" Cyborg and Beast Boy grunted mannishly in unison.

Cyborg coughed, "So why'd you two ditch Robin and Starfire?" he asked quickly, "Or did you not want me to know about that?" he raised an eyebrow and grinned as he caught Beast Boy and Raven in his sights, implying something.

"Look, I know you're desperate to change the subject, but you're barking up the _wrong _tree." Raven warned him irritably. Cyborg was no mind reader, but he could see that if he took it any further, no one would ever hear from him again.

"Huh?" Beast Boy wondered, one eye much larger than the other, in confusion. "Oh yeah!" Beast Boy grinned evilly; tiptoeing, he whispered something in Cyborg's ear. Cyborg's face suddenly became deathly serious, causing Beast Boy and Raven to back away.

"I can't believe you would go behind Robin and Starfire's backs, ditch them in the park, and come up with a plan like that..." Cyborg snarled, to which Beast Boy and Raven cowered in response, "...WITHOUT ME!" he finished loudly.

"Heh, sorry..." Beast Boy apologized, "Hey! Wait a minute! I've heard you say something like that before! Are you reusing lines?" Beast Boy demanded, pointing an accusing finger at him.

"Uh, it's probably just deja vu or something." Cyborg explained.

"Oh... yeah. Anyway, I already told my _entire_ plan to Raven, and I don't mean to brag or anything, but, she thought it was genius." he gloated; Raven rolled her eyes but decided against correcting him, as there was some truth to his statement. "Don't worry about it though; we could use your help too."

"Alright!" Cyborg said boisterously, "What's the entire plan?" he asked excitedly. Beast Boy proceeded to explain the scheme to him, and Cyborg had a good laugh, skeptical that Beast Boy was able to come up with something like that on his own. "Do we really have nothing better to do than set our friends up?" Cyborg asked, taking a serious tone.

The three paused for a moment, reflecting deeply on the question. Cyborg noticed that after confronting Iron, he had no leads on The Tempest and absolutely no idea where to look next; unfortunately, he would have to wait until they showed themselves again, but in the mean time, he didn't mind the thought of having a little fun. Beast Boy thought about how Robin had eaten the 'foot cake' that morning, knowing that someone would have to be crazy in love to do that without barfing; he had to help Robin out, for his health. Raven, after this morning's events, was fed up with watching it go on like this, and simply had to intervene, to maintain her own sanity.

"Nope." they said in unison, feeling a little pathetic.

- - - - - -

Still walking along the stone pathway with Starfire, Robin happened to look behind him, what he saw almost made him want to jump for joy; Raven and Beast Boy were nowhere to be seen, now he could say certain things and feel slightly less embarrassed about it. Noticing Robin's attention shift from the trees, Starfire followed his gaze to the path behind them; she felt strange for being enthusiastic at the absence of her friends, but she couldn't help it; now she could focus on what really mattered.

"Our friends have abandoned us, that is... most disagreeable." she tried to sound convincing, however she was unable to keep the smile from her face.

"Oh, uh... yeah. How rude of them." he played along, hoping it sounded believable to her. As they intentionally avoided each others eyes, neither knew that both were smiling. Looking to the small apertures of light that peeked through the canopy, Robin saw that the day light was beginning to dwindle; before Beast Boy and Raven left, they had been walking in the park for several hours, without notice of the time of day. Robin knew he had to say something soon if he wanted this day to work out, before it was over. But as usual, he was at a loss for words.

As they continued through the small stretch of forest, the dimming rays of light which still penetrated the canopy were gliding across Starfire, giving her an otherworldly glow within the darkening shadows as she gazed in wonderment through the treetops. The wind, which had grown slightly more intense, but warmer, since the morning, carried on from the path ahead; it picked up her scarlet red hair and waved it about like flickering tongues of fire. Tearing his eyes away from her, Robin looked ahead; the light at the end of the path which opened into the park again, was beginning to fade as well. Robin opened his mouth, but Starfire spoke before he could.

"Thank you." she said, finally meeting his eyes.

"Thank you?" he asked, wondering what he could have done that would warrant gratitude, "For what?" he smiled.

"For this day. It has been--" Starfire stopped; as they stepped out of the trees, the light from outside the canopy flooded their view, fading away slowly as their eyes adjusted to the light. The park was nearly empty; anyone remaining, was packing up their belongings in preparation to leave.

"Hey Star... Is there something you've always wanted to do?" Robin asked, turning his attention away from the setting sun, "Y'know, something... special?" he clarified.

Starfire smiled shyly, looking to the sky, "...I have always wanted to fly over the city, and see the many sights from above." she said; however, there were many other things she wanted to do... many other things she wanted to say.

"Why don't you?" he inquired.

"Well... it is silly, yes?" there was more to what she said than she had explained; she thought it was silly, but only because she didn't want to fly over the city... alone.

"I don't think so. If you have the ability to make a wish come true, then you should go for it." Robin turned his attention to the sky as well, "I think you should do it."

"Will you fly with me?" Starfire asked, hopefully.

"I--Um...Well," he stuttered, surprised that she would think of including him.

"Perhaps it would prove... special to you as well." she held out a hand to him; his heart jumped as she smiled, her eyes shining like centauri moon diamonds. As though he was no longer in control of his body, he reached his hand out, deciding to take his own advice, _'If you have the ability to make a wish come true, then you should go for it.'_

As she took his hand, Starfire reached over and captured his other hand as well; for a few moments, they stood still, facing each other. Starfire's smile widened as she began to ascend; in mid air, she flipped Robin around with ease, so they were facing the same direction. They continued to climb until Starfire stopped above the rooftops.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Ready--" Robin was cut off by the force of the wind as Starfire began to soar forward through the air. Looking up, he saw that she was still smiling as the air stream increased exponentially. He found it hard to breathe while the wind constantly beat against his face, restricting his intake of air; his heart began to thump wildly as he looked to the ground, which was farther away from him than he expected. The buildings passed by below, as though they were free flying objects in a powerful windstorm, too fast to be recognized. The words 'adrenaline rush' could hardly describe the feeling Robin experienced of being so near to falling, knowing that the only thing that kept him from plummeting to the ground was his trust in Starfire; it made his entire body shake. He had never been more frightened in his life, and he couldn't recall ever having so much fun.

Suddenly, the buildings disappeared and gave way to the ocean; the water had become a beautiful shade of lavender in the light of the setting sun. Robin looked ahead to the horizon, Titans Tower and the bridge were incoming fast; he watched as, within mere seconds, both passed by.

"Hold on, we are going higher!" Starfire shouted above the wind as they flew out beyond the bridge. Pulling backward, she entered into a high rising arc, turning around completely and heading back to the city. The speed at which they cut through the air was so fast that it lifted Robin horizontally; he wondered if it was the wind, or the fact that he was with Starfire, that made him feel like he was truly flying.

Before the sun set, Robin and Starfire had flown over all of their favorite places. When they decided that they had seen the entire city, Starfire flew with Robin to the roof of the tallest building, where they sat together on the edge, with a perfect view of the sunset. The city was situated in such a way, that the sun appeared to rise and set in the ocean; it was perfect for people who were fond of both times of the day. As the sun cast its final rays of light upon the city, while it slowly receded behind the oceanic horizon, the sky became a spectacular golden color which faded to deep blue toward the east. The thin and wispy clouds were bright white around the sun.

Finally relaxing back to a state of calm, Robin exhaled and leaned backward, admiring the sparkling ocean. Starfire did the same, but she could not keep herself from looking back to him; she had never quite seen the carefree expression he wore.

"Y'know, I don't think flying over the city like that counts as staying out of danger." Robin joked. Suddenly the smile disappeared from Starfire's face as she realized she had made him promise to stay out of too much danger, then went ahead and carried him at high speed, hundreds of feet above the ground. Seeing this, Robin quickly spoke again, "But I know that you wouldn't have let me fall... When I'm with you, I know I'm as far from danger as I possibly could be." he finished, wondering if he had actually said those things; but he didn't care, it was all worth it to see her smile return.

"Really?" she asked, letting all her worries disappear at the sound of his comforting words.

"I mean it." he reassured her.

As they continued to talk, Robin could hardly pay attention to his own words. Under the light of the golden sky, she looked more beautiful and radiant to him than ever. Suddenly, the thought of her leaving pained him even more so than before; it was a pain that originated from somewhere deep within and seemed to tear at the fiber of his being. He came to the realization that he wasn't doing these things simply because he didn't want her to leave, he was doing these things... because he loved her.

- - - - - -

Several buildings away, a young girl with strange ashen eyes, watched Robin and Starfire intently as she knelt down on the rooftop; a normal person would not be able to see them from this distance, but this girl was far from normal. She pushed her long pitch black hair out of her view, as she continued to watch patiently from her perch. She reached into the pocket of her plain black cloak, and removed a small communication device.

"Iris here. Subjects have ceased flight. Will continue surveillance until further notice, over." she spoke into the device, her voice was small like a child's. Iris placed the device back in her pocket and remained in attentive silence.

"It's sad to see his great warrior children reduced to simple reconnaissance. What a waste." a deep and calm voice spoke from behind her. Unflinching, Iris turned her face to the side, to see a man who wore a mask which was split down the middle by color, one side was plain solid black, the other was metallic copper and let his penetrating stone stare exit through a single narrowed eyehole.

"...Slade. I've been informed about you." she said simply, turning her attention back to the rooftop in the distance.

"You realize I can't let your master go through with this." Slade walked forward, arms behind his back, "If he succeeds with this _purification_, then I'll have nothing to look forward to." he said, sounding amused as he continued his advancement. Hearing his approaching footsteps, Iris quickly stood up and turned around, ready to fight; the rooftop was empty and Slade was nowhere to be seen.

"Send him a message." Slade's voice echoed from some unknown location, "I'll be watching."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Gasp, OMG Slade! About the ice cream part; I just needed to waste a little time, it was really very pointless, but I hope I got a few people to laugh. Sorry about the delay, I share this computer with two other people... It's times like this I wish I had a laptop. Just a reminder for people who don't know, I post release dates of future chapters on my profile page; they're usually accurate, give or take a day.

darkangelchic - Did that chapter answer your Cyborg question?

starfire's flame - You're wailing? I put your pen name down; you were in bold. You've been there since my first fic, how could I forget you:)

iluvrobbie - I figured he would just shrug it off as Beast Boy weirdness; after all, he had much more important things to worry about. ;)

Exhile87 - I like to throw in a few cute little BBxRae moments every once in a while, but no more than the show would; well, maybe a smidge more.

Boyue - I've known exactly what I wanted The Tempest to be since before I posted the first chapter; but if the readers knew THIS early in the story, where would the mystery be? Actually, I've left little clues in the previous chapters as to The Tempest's true intentions (such as what Iron said to Starfire before she 'shut him up'), and will continue to do so in future chapters. I want the readers to piece it together like a puzzle, so when it all comes together, it's a pretty big moment.

realfanficts - Heh, your welcome. It's the least I could do. :)

Slythergrl2004 - When I got to writing that part, I was like, "How could Starfire _not_ say this line?" XD I just had to put it in there, it practically wrote itself.

TheRavenMyth - A guy feeling or acting awkward around girls, the story of my life. LOL I write from experience... or is it inexperience:P

MistyMagicWaterflower aka xImmortalxRomanticx - Nah, it's more fun to type out the whole thing. :) Long before the Teen Titans TV series showed up, I was an avid pokéshipper, and I still am; so I'll definitely look into your fics when I get the chance.

**Next Chapter Preview:** Beast Boy, Raven, and Cyborg, continue to have their fun, but what is it that they're planning for five days from now? Realizing his love for Starfire, Robin finds new resolve and perhaps a new reason he can give her, but would revealing his feelings make her stay... or leave? Next up is, Day 4, Part One: What Am I So Afraid Of?


	7. Day 4, Part 1: What Am I So Afraid Of?

**10 Leisurely Days**

by Blue Ten

**Summary:**

Robin finds out that Starfire will be leaving for Tamaran in 10 days. Keeping his discovery a secret, he has a little over a week to give her a reason to stay. But when things keep getting in the way, will he even get the chance? RobinxStarfire

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Teen Titans.

* * *

Day 4, Part One: What Am I So Afraid Of?

The sound of car horns and tires screeching abruptly awakened Robin from his sleep. Shaking his head out of a groggy daze, he yawned and looked to the sky; the moon and the blaring lights from the city jointly washed out the stars from view. The city, which never slept, was alive with the sounds of traffic in the streets below. Robin looked to his side, there he saw Starfire sleeping; curled up beside him, she had taken hold of his arm and rested her head on his shoulder, while they both leaned on a wall for support. _'Did she do that in her sleep?' _he wondered, feeling his heart become electrified by her touch. She was beautiful to him no matter what amount or hue of light was being reflected off of her, as she seemed to be so full of radiant light herself; looking at her face as she slept, all he felt like doing at this moment, was to lean in and kiss her. Robin chuckled anxiously at his thoughts, fully awakened by his now violently pulsing heart; it was the second time he had fallen asleep and woken up next to her. _'I could get used to this...'_ he thought, immediately scolding himself for thinking something so pretentious. Picking up his communicator, Robin checked the time; the display read, 2:18 AM. Robin sighed, he couldn't very well carry her back to the tower from here; he had to wake her up, though it pained him to do so.

"Star." he whispered, gingerly nudging her. Starfire let go of his arm and sat up, rubbing her eyes; suddenly, she looked panicked.

"...I fell asleep. I am sorry, I did not mean--" she said with a contrite expression to her face, sounding as though she had done something terrible.

"No, it's alright, really." he replied instantly, admiring that selfless quality she had. Robin didn't even remember falling asleep, let alone who did first; and even then it didn't seem like something to apologize for. "You were probably really tired after flying. I don't blame you for falling asleep." he reassured her with a smile, though he wouldn't be surprised if he had been the one who fell asleep first.

"Oh, yes... it was quite tiring." she said, telling the truth to some extent; though she was a little more embarrassed that she had been holding on to his arm like that when he woke up. She asked herself why she did these things, but she had no answers.

"The others are probably asleep right now, so... could you fly us back?" Robin smiled nervously, hoping that he wasn't asking too much of her.

Starfire giggled, relieved that he didn't seem to mind what she had done. "Of course." she said, letting an energetic smile return to her face as she held out her hand. As Robin took hold of her hand, Starfire floated over the edge of the building and stopped to look back at him where he stood, "You are sure you will not be frightened?" she asked, raising her voice slightly over the wind and traffic.

"Yeah. Actually, I can't remember the last time I had so much fun." he admitted, remembering vividly that rush he felt while soaring through the air. As Starfire nodded happily in response and turned around to fly, Robin braced himself to be pulled from the rooftop. He was surprised as she gently lifted him from the roof and they began to float at a reasonable pace to the bay in the distance. However, he still found himself a little shaken as he looked to the glowing streets below. The cars were so far from view that they appeared to be plain blurry lights without distinguishable shape or form; holding on by one hand was a little more nerve racking as well, but Starfire had a good grip, and he trusted her with his life.

Taking his eyes away from the distant streets, he looked up to Starfire; though she was masking it with a smile, she seemed pretty tired, which was probably the reason she was flying so slowly. Robin sighed, feeling bad that she had to carry him; if he could fly her back to the tower, just to let her rest a little, he wouldn't think twice about it. Suddenly, the thoughts that ran through his mind that evening returned; that intensity which made his heart race and his pulse quicken. He was astounded that these feelings he had hidden from her for so long, were realized in such an instant; it changed the way he looked at her... it changed the way he looked at himself. He knew it was love; and he knew now, that he had always felt this way toward her.

_'What was it that Bruce told you about love?' _he asked himself thoughtfully. Bruce Wayne, Robin's mentor and adopted father, had always told him that love was an obstacle to be overcome, a weakness. When a guy was in love, he was ready to put his life on the line to protect his girl... _that _was the weakness he spoke of, the willingness to die for the sake of love; it should be avoided at all costs. Robin scoffed at his father's detached and cold ideals, _'Screw Bruce! He never met a girl like Starfire.'_ he thought. Starfire was someone who Robin would die for if he had to, but she was so strong that such an opportunity would never present itself; proof positive that Bruce was just being hard headed about his own problems.

Now that the issue of fatherly advice had been addressed, Robin had something much more pressing to decide on... _'Should I tell her?'_ the thought of doing so made his heart drop into the pit of his stomach; there were so many possible results, some were too unpleasant and heart wrenching to think of... rejection, acceptance, indifference... With only one good outcome, the odds were definitely not in his favor the way he saw it.

- - - - - -

Iris remained on the edge of her rooftop, eyeing Robin and Starfire's movements closely as she reached for her communication device, switching it on with a static crackling.

"Subjects are on the move. Commencing pursuit, over." she spoke into the mechanism with her soft childlike voice. Standing up, Iris walked nonchalantly over to the edge of the roof facing the bay. With one quick leap, she bounded across several rooftops at once, landing with complete silence on another flat; she continued to do so, making sure to stay a reasonable distance behind Robin and Starfire, while keeping a watchful eye on their position.

- - - - - -

Robin and Starfire now hovered above the bay, steadily flying toward Titans Tower. Hearing an interesting sound like a flag flapping in the wind, Robin turned his attention to the city behind him, scanning the rooftops with curiosity. As far as he could see, the area was empty; shaking his head and looking back to the tower, Robin figured he must have heard his own cape whipping around. _'I must be more tired than I realized...' _he thought to himself, yawning.

Hearing his yawn and feeling his grip soften, Starfire looked down to Robin; he was using his free hand to cover his mouth as he yawned with his eyes closed. Starfire smiled, thinking about how cute he looked as he did this. "Here, take my hand." she said, holding out her other hand to him, wondering why she hadn't done so in the first place.

Struggling through his sleepiness, Robin reached up as best he could and took hold of her hand. "Thanks, that's much better." Robin exhaled, feeling the tension lessen in his other arm. "Hey Star, I forgot to ask you... Was flying over the city what you imagined it would be?" he asked; if it was, then the day before had gone perfectly.

"No." she said, causing Robin to falter with his planned response. "It was much better." she finished, smiling down at him.

Robin sighed in relief, "I'm glad." he said. _'YES!' _he thought loudly. One day had actually gone well, now all he had to do was make sure the six remaining days went just as smoothly... _'Easier said than done.'_ he hung his head forward. Now that he understood his feelings for her, he felt stronger, and more determined than ever; but he also felt tremendously powerless and hesitant at the same time, if that was at all possible. Love... like climbing and finally reaching the zenith of your dreams, it had the potential to make a person feel as though they were on top of the world; but in its other form it could lift your feet and send you hurtling back to the ground, leaving you broken and defeated at the base, making you never want to climb that mountain again... unrequited love. _'Stop it! Stop thinking stuff like that.' _Robin thought, astounded by his ability to frighten himself with his own over examinations. _'You're acting like it's already over, and you haven't even told her yet!' _he informed himself, almost feeling as though he should laugh at his own stupidity. Before he could dwell on his thoughts any more, Starfire's enchanting voice brought him back to reality.

"We have arrived." she said, slowing down and descending onto the roof of the tower. Letting go of Starfire's hands as his feet touched the ground, Robin looked to the sky. The absence of the light pollution from the city allowed the stars to be seen in their full spectrum; if not for the haunting light of the moon, the sky would be as clear as it had been on that night, nearly three days ago.

Robin shifted his eyes to gaze at Sirius, _'I hope you really can grant wishes...'_ he thought. Turning his attention to her, Robin saw that Starfire had also been looking to the star.

As Starfire turned to Robin, her face suddenly went hot red when she realized he might have seen what she was doing; quickly, she hid it with a wide smile. "Shall we?" she giggled nervously, pulling him toward the door. Robin was now stricken with curiosity as he was being led down the stairs into the tower, wondering what it was she had wished for on that night.

The halls were dark and empty, Beast Boy's snoring could be heard resonating from his partially opened door; everyone was asleep. Robin wondered why they didn't seem to be worried at all that he and Starfire had been gone since late yesterday... they didn't even call to make sure they were okay; something was going on here, but he realized he didn't really care.

Although he knew that Starfire could find her way in the dark by herself, Robin decided to lead her to her room anyway, feeling like it was just the right thing to do. Starfire opened the door to her room; stepping inside, she turned around to face Robin, "Good morning Robin." she said with a grin.

"Good morning? Don't you mean good night?" he inquired.

"But it is no longer night." she explained.

"Heh, right. Well, good morning Star." Robin chuckled; it was that charming naive quality which was one of the many reasons he loved her. With a sugary sweet smile, Starfire closed her door. _'...I love you.' _Robin thought, as he watched the door close and heard her footsteps retreat within.

- - - - - -

Hiding stiffly behind a wall which jutted up from the rooftop, Iris breathed heavily as she peeked around the corner to make sure the coast was clear. _'He almost saw me...' _breathing a sigh of relief, she finally stepped out from behind the wall, _'Need to be more careful.'_ she thought. Walking to the edge, Iris leapt over the streets and landed on the beach near the bay. Retreating to a well hidden shadowed area in the rocky sections, she pulled the hood of her cloak over her head, and focused on the windows of Titans Tower.

"Now, talk to me." she said quietly.

- - - - - -

_'Y'know, thinking it, doesn't really count as telling her.'_ Robin thought to himself as he sat on the edge of his bed, unable to sleep. Moonlight from outside the window cast a surreal glowing ray through the opening, creating an elongated rectangle of light that spread across the open floor. The curtains rustled from the slight wind that penetrated the open window; glowing in the moonlight like apparitions, Robin felt as though he was being watched by them.

_'I know... but what if I told her, and she hated me for it... I couldn't live with that.'_ Robin's fear stated, hesitant and timid.

_'Oh come on. You'll never know unless you try.' _said the confident voice of optimism, _'You're only thinking about what'll happen if she rejects you. I mean, what if she feels the same way, can you imagine the good side of this for a second?'_

_'Yeah, think about it! You could get next to her whenever you wanted, kiss her... my god, she's so HOT--'_ pent up emotion started, before being interrupted by reason.

_'Okay, how about we leave **him** out of this conversation.'_

_'Agreed.'_

_'Anyway, make a choice, are you gonna tell her or not?'_

_'...I need more time to think about this.'_ Robin spoke up amongst his alter egos.

_'Yeah, because you have all the time in the world.' _sarcasm cut in.

_'Don't be such a coward.'_

_'Would you please...' _Robin thought, feeling a little overwhelmed by the voices.

_'Come on man, we already know you like her.'_

_'Cyborg?'_

_'Dude, who do you think you're kidding?'_

_'Beast Boy?'_

_'I didn't even need to read your mind to figure it out.'_

_'Raven? What are you guys doing in here? Get out now!'_

_'Kiss me Robin, kiss me.'_

_'Starfire?'_

_'Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep--'_

- - - - - -

Robin violently tore the covers off of himself and sat up quickly in his bed, breathing heavily; the sound of his alarm clock was blaring in his ears. Reaching over to the side of his bed, Robin shut down his alarm by blindly slamming a hand against it, hoping he had hit the right button by chance. As the persistent beeping came to an end, he looked up to see his room fading slowly in to view, the bright morning light streaming in through the window caused him to squint. Robin inhaled deeply, and let all the air out in an exhausted sigh. _'It was a dream.'_ he thought, relieved that it was; if not, he had some serious split personality issues. But, he thought that those voices _did_ make some good points... mostly; he wondered which one, if any, he should listen to. A lot of them seemed to be in favor of telling her.

Robin shook his head as he stood up from his bed; walking over to the open window, he let the sunshine and fresh air hit him while he stretched. Casting a bright silver sheen across the ocean, the sun had risen fairly high above the horizon. Confused about the time of day, Robin examined the clock he had knocked over on the ground, which read, 7:32 AM; he realized he had actually gotten a good amount of sleep, though he couldn't say it was restful. Knowing that the others were probably awake already, Robin decided to think about the subject more after breakfast.

- - - - - -

Cyborg sat alone on the couch in the common room with the remote in his hand, intentionally avoiding the news as he flipped through the stations; anything they had to report at this point, he already knew. Cyborg anxiously tapped on the ground with his foot as he waited for Beast Boy to return, wishing he had gone in his stead; he knew that at any moment, Beast Boy would probably burst through the doors, holding the details of his plan high in the air for everyone to see, ruining the surprise. But, he figured he had to give Beast Boy a little more credit than that; after all, he did manage to come up with the whole thing by himself.

Raven walked into the living room, "Is he back yet?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, but I hope he gets here before the other two wake up--" Cyborg stopped as the main doors slid open. Beast Boy stood in the doorway for a moment, looking at the others; without saying a word, he casually walked across the room and sat down on the couch beside Cyborg, wearing an unconcerned facial expression while he turned his attention to the television. "Well?" Cyborg questioned him.

"Well, what?" Beast Boy asked, without turning away from the screen.

"Did you get them?"

"Oh you mean..." Beast Boy reached behind his back, "THESE!" he yelled, standing up on the couch and waving five blue envelopes in the air with a huge grin plastered across his face.

"Oh for--GIMME THOSE!" quickly standing up, Cyborg angrily snatched the envelopes out of Beast Boy's hand, "When I said _'covertly'_, that's not what I meant!"

"Relax; they're not even up yet."

"Yeah, but with the way you keep waving your _genius_ plan around, they're bound to find out about the..." Cyborg trailed off as Starfire walked from the hall into the living room, happily waving at the others as she headed to the kitchen, "The thing." he finished, intentionally vague. Sitting back down on the couch, Cyborg hid the envelopes behind his back, "What do we do now?" he asked quietly, keeping an eye on Starfire.

"It's not for five days." Beast Boy responded, "So now, we just sit back, wait a few days, then spring it on Robin before he can say no." Beast Boy put his hands behind his head and leaned back on the couch, continuing to grin.

Suddenly, all expression left Cyborg's face. "That's it?" he asked, narrowing his eye, "That's your entire plan? Don't you have anything going for the days in between?"

"Well, if you're so smart, why don't you think of something?" Beast Boy crossed his arms in front of himself, looking to Cyborg expectantly.

"Alright then I will."

"You sure? I mean you haven't exactly had the best luck when it comes to stuff like this." Beast Boy stated, unintentionally rude, referring to Cyborg's bad luck with girls.

"Well, neither have you..." Cyborg paused as he saw Beast Boy's expression falter, "S-Sorry, I didn't mean--"

"It's alright." Beast Boy stood up with a blank look on his face, turning around to face the hallway, "Um, I'm gonna go back to sleep now... on an unrelated matter." he said glumly, walking away into the hall. "Sorry I said that about you, I didn't mean it." he said as he disappeared around the corner.

Raven turned an expressionless face to Cyborg, who was sitting on the couch, mentally beating himself up. "...I'm an idiot?" he stated for her.

"No, just tactless." she said, making Cyborg feel a little better; turning around, she followed after Beast Boy, asking herself what she thought she was doing. Catching up to him, Raven watched as Beast Boy stood outside of his door, leaning his weight against it with a hand.

Hearing Raven's approaching footsteps, Beast Boy turned slightly to face her. "You'd think after so long I'd have let it go already, but it just sticks with you y'know? ...Bad memories." he said, unmoving.

"Look, none of us can say we've had any luck in that subject... except Robin and Starfire, but they don't even know it." she said, almost jokingly, trying to sound as comforting as she could through her monotone voice. "Memories, as bad as they seem, are just memories. It's the past that affects us the most; scars that never seem to go away. But the past is there to draw strength from as well; eventually, you'll learn to heal."

"What are you doing?" he asked, stepping away from the door to look at her inquisitively.

"Trying to cheer you up." she replied, keeping a staid expression; such a sentence sounded very strange coming from her mouth, a fact which was reinforced by Beast Boy's astounded face.

Shaking away his astonishment, Beast Boy chuckled, "Well, cut it out, you're scaring me." he said, smiling.

"Come on genius, we can't pull this off without you." Raven said, impassively. Turning around, she began walking back to the living room.

"Thanks." he said to her back, "Looks like Cyborg has some competition for the position of best friend." Beast Boy joked.

"Um... right." Raven responded, as Beast Boy proceeded to follow her back to the living room.

Hearing two sets of footsteps emerging from the hallway, Cyborg braced himself to be yelled at. Raven stepped out from the hallway first, making her way quietly across the room, passed the couch, and to the corner where she sat down and began to meditate; floating above the ground, she spoke her three famous words repeatedly, seemingly in deep thought. As Beast Boy came from the hall, Cyborg was surprised and relieved to see that he had apparently forgotten, or forgiven, what was said. The huge mischievous grin had returned to his face as he came to sit back on the couch.

"So, what should we do about the next five days?" Beast Boy asked.

"Alright!" Cyborg exclaimed, toning it down as he saw Starfire's attention shift from her breakfast for a short while. Cyborg put a hand on his chin thoughtfully, thinking up something diabolical. "I've got the perfect thing." he said; feeling back in the game, Cyborg let an evil grin spread across his face.

- - - - - -

Walking down the hallway, Robin could hear the muffled chuckling of Cyborg and Beast Boy coming from the living room. His stomach growled as he continued, realizing he hadn't eaten anything since lunch the other day. Turning the corner into the common room, Robin expected to see the others gathered around the table, eating breakfast; instead, he saw Starfire sitting alone at the table, eating a bowl of something he assumed was a Tamaranian form of cereal. The Titans didn't often make their own individual breakfasts, but turning to look at the couch, Robin saw that the usual cooks were busy with... something. Looking at the bright side of things, Robin saw that the situation was perfect; the others were gathered on the far side of the room, out of earshot, now he could try his best to talk to Starfire... after breakfast.

Searching through the cupboards in the kitchen, Robin poured himself a bowl of cereal. Sitting across from Starfire at the table, he examined her food, which under closer inspection, appeared to be moving blobs of stuff; surprisingly, it didn't look that bad to him. After taking a few bites of his breakfast, Robin realized he had lost his appetite, with his mind too preoccupied by thoughts of his dream. He figured he would never get any sleep, or sustenance, until he got something off his chest; the only problem was, saying anything at this moment, felt like trying to lift a weight his muscles couldn't handle. Before he could force himself to speak, Robin looked back to Starfire, who seemed happy and content with things the way they were; he wondered if perhaps he had already convinced her to stay. He realized he might be ruining something by telling her; after coming so far, he decided not to wreck everything by throwing his selfish emotions into the mix. After all, it would be much easier to show her how he felt, and he had six more days to do it. Feeling like he had come to a compromise with himself, Robin felt his hunger return and proceeded to eat his breakfast.

Sitting in front of an empty bowl, Robin looked across to Starfire who had long since finished her breakfast; she was smiling at him, which made him feel confident that things were working out for the best, the way they were. Although he was a little worried that the city would be due for another crime at any moment, he was glad that things had slowed down since Iron was arrested; hoping that today would be no exception to that fact, he decided to find something else that Starfire wanted to do.

"...Star." he called her attention.

"Yes." she replied quickly, as though she had been waiting for him to speak.

"Is there anything you wanted to do today? If you want to... maybe we could--" he started.

"I've got an idea." Cyborg interrupted; Robin shakily turned his head to the side, to see Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven standing beside the table. "How about we go see a movie tonight?" he finished. Robin felt like cursing out loud, but when he saw Starfire's face, he calmed himself, thinking that maybe it wasn't such a bad idea after all.

"A movie?" she asked, sounding interested. Movies had always proven a good way to spend quality time with her friends, so she couldn't resist, thinking that she could use it to spend some quality time with one _friend _in particular.

"Yeah, _Space Beast 2_, I hear it's supposed to be... _good_." Beast Boy added.

"Hey, isn't that--" Robin started, looking at Cyborg and Beast Boy curiously.

"That's right, the sequel to _Space Beast 1_!" Cyborg cut him off.

"Please, what type of movie is this _Space Beast_? I have not heard of it before." Starfire asked.

"Well... it's a movie, about a beast... from space." Beast Boy explained, intentionally avoiding the genre. "So what do you say, wanna see it?" he asked, turning to Robin for an answer.

Robin sighed, _'What are they trying to do?'_ he wondered. Robin looked to Starfire, who seemed genuinely interested by Beast Boy's vague description; he figured he had no choice now. He thought that maybe it was for the best anyway; after all, if he kept trying to do things with her on his own, it would seem suspicious.

"...Sure." he said, defeated. The movie was at night anyway, leaving plenty of the day open for other things.

* * *

**Author's Note:** If you're reading this fic and you like it, feel free to review (especially if you never have); anonymous or not, a review in any form helps me out a lot. Another delay... sorry about that, I'll try hard to get this next one up quick :P. I had a lot of fun writing that dream sequence, showing Robin's different emotions arguing with each other was funny to me. Fluffy chapter coming up next, prepare yourself XD.

As usual, reviews are very much appreciated. :)

Tritium - You are very critical of what I have written... I like that, please continue XD. I'll take some time to answer those questions of yours; Cloak and Dagger were meant to be dorks, so I gave them dorky lines (by the way, I had BB say that on purpose; a joke at my own expense); Mad Mod vs. Iron was simply a coincidence, meant to show you what The Tempest is doing to the other villains of Jump City; I knew of Raven's healing powers, but I was a little unsure if she could extract poisons, so I just decided against it (I probably should have written in something about that though :P). A Rob/Rae fan eh? Watcha doin' reading a Rob/Star fic? Just wondering. :)

darktank - Tempest's plan for Robin and Starfire: You've probably figured out by now that they're trying to recruit them as operatives, but there's much more to it than that... keep reading. :) Starfire equalsSuperman, Robin equalsLois Lane... XD.

tigerchic121 - I already used Ra's Al Ghul as a plot point in one of my other fics, and I want to try and refrain from repetition as much as I can. I should probably know this but, what's the League of Shadows?

starfire's flame - Something big... yep. :P

iluvrobbie - LOL

CatGirl R and S Fan - Cool, thanks! I hope I wasn't the only one who guessed right.

**Next Chapter Preview:** Robin decides to hold off on telling Starfire how he feels until the day before she leaves. Per Cyborg's suggestion, the Titans go see a movie which, to Starfire's terrified surprise, is a horror movie. And what happens when a certain remote Control weilding Freak is thrown into the mix? Find out in Day 4, Part Two: A Nightmare and a Dream.


	8. Day 4, Part 2: A Nightmare and a Dream

**10 Leisurely Days**

by Blue Ten

**Summary:**

Robin finds out that Starfire will be leaving for Tamaran in 10 days. Keeping his discovery a secret, he has a little over a week to give her a reason to stay. But when things keep getting in the way, will he even get the chance? RobinxStarfire

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Teen Titans.

* * *

Day 4, Part Two: A Nightmare and a Dream

Robin watched with curious eyes as Cyborg and Beast Boy jumped for joy at his acceptance of the movie; Raven stood behind them, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. Wondering why they had avoided saying it was a horror movie, Robin figured they were trying to keep Raven from knowing about it; after that 'Wicked Scary' incident, she probably never wanted to see another horror movie again... but then, why would they want to chance creating another situation like that? Turning his attention to Starfire, he saw that she had somewhat joined in on their victory dance by clapping along with their jumping. He knew he didn't have to worry about Starfire getting scared during the movie, as she had enjoyed Wicked Scary just as much as everyone else.

"So, when is it?" Robin interrupted the victory dance with a question.

Cyborg stopped moving, but Beast Boy, with his eyes closed, continued to jump up and down. "Uh, it's at eight--" Cyborg grabbed Beast Boy's shoulders and pressed toward the ground, halting his dancing, "tonight." he finished, letting go of Beast Boy who then eyed him angrily.

"Great, that leaves us about twelve hours..." Robin immediately turned to Starfire, as though ignoring the existence of the other Titans, "So, have anything in mind for today?" he asked quickly.

"The mall of shopping?" she replied just as fast.

"Alright then, let's get going." he said optimistically. Standing up and walking to the main doors, Robin and Starfire exited in a speedy fashion, like they were trying to run away from the others. Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven stood in the dining area of the common room, blinking.

"Um... Do they even need our help?" Cyborg queried, pointing through the open doors.

"Hey, a little extra persuasion never hurts." Beast Boy defended the relevance of his plan, still staring at the empty doorway.

Cyborg cupped his hands around his mouth to amplify his speech, "You realize I'm not gonna let _you_ drive the T-Car!" he yelled. Robin and Starfire's hurried footsteps came to a stop before they could reach the elevator; the rhythm of their returning footsteps almost sounded embarrassed.

"Heh, right." Robin poked his head around the corner, nervous beads of sweat forming on his forehead, "...You coming?" he asked with a humiliated grin.

"Well, yeah, if that's alright with you." Cyborg responded, almost mockingly. With that, Robin ambled back through the doorway, feeling like his shoulder muscles would snap from the tension; Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven followed, surprise and amusement painted on their faces.

- - - - - -

The mall, or as Starfire called it, the mall of shopping, was reasonably empty in the early hours of the morning; it would soon be populated by the youth of Jump City, but for now, the Titans had it all relatively to themselves. The mall was separated into four massive hallways, each with two floors, the sides of which were decorated by every store one could imagine; the halls met in the center around an excessively large water fountain decorated by various tropical flora, where one could find a map of all the shops, with a little 'you are here' symbol to keep people from getting lost in what could only be described as a labyrinth. Much of the ceiling was clear glass and let the sunlight pass through to illuminate the interior, which was a good idea, considering how much it would cost to light the entire place otherwise. With so few people walking around, the cavernous building seemed to echo with every step made on the brown and white tiled floor.

True to their competitive nature, Cyborg and Beast Boy immediately made their way to the massive arcade upon entering, where they would waste countless quarters defending their high scores. Raven, on the other hand, retreated to the opposite end of the spectrum, the book store; here she planned to spend the entire time, using it as a library. Starfire, who never got tired of all the new things that seemed to pop up in this place over night, walked along the galleries, window shopping; the mall was the embodiment of everything that made humans human, so she enjoyed using it for learning experience as well as leisurely activity. Robin on the other hand, rarely ever came to the mall, and hardly considered it his favorite place in the city; although reasonably familiar with the building, he stuck close by Starfire to keep himself from getting lost, and to answer any questions she would most definitely have... among other reasons.

Walking along the northern hall on the second floor, Robin stayed a good distance behind Starfire, keeping an attentive eye on, and often becoming amused by, the curious things she was interested in. They continued to move along until Starfire stopped and, with a gasp, nearly pressed her face up against a window, her eyes sparkling as light was reflected on to them. Curiosity peaked, Robin shifted his position to see what she was looking at; Starfire was peering into the window of a jewelry store, her attention focused on one piece of adornment in particular. After a few moments, Starfire reluctantly turned away and continued to examine the windows further down the way. Making his way to the window, Robin took this opportunity to closer inspect the object that had captured her attention so. Off to the side of the more extravagant jewelry, was a modest silver necklace, the main part of which was bejeweled by a small blue gem in the shape of a teardrop; this was what Starfire had her eye on. Ironically, at a grand total of forty five dollars, it was the least expensive piece of jewelry in the window.

_'It's perfect.' _Robin thought; looking intently at the shimmering necklace, he knew if he gave it to her, she would see it as a true symbol of his affections, _'Or, something to remember you by.'_ Robin's doubt betrayed his optimism. _'Shut up!'_ he thought, hating how he always managed to contradict himself; he now wondered if that dream wasn't too far removed from reality.

Turning his eyes to look down the walkway, Robin saw that Starfire was paying attention to other things; forgetting about his doubts, he stealthily snuck around and entered the jewelry store before Starfire could notice he wasn't following her anymore.

Several minutes later, Robin emerged from the store, holding a small blue velvet box in his hands. Taking his eyes away from the necklace and closing the box, Robin looked up to see that the mall had become crowded by what seemed like the entire population of Jump City. _'Oh crap...'_ he cursed inwardly, believing that Starfire might think he had abandoned her... she was nowhere in sight. Robin scanned the massive sea of people, searching the crowd for a beautiful red-head; without any luck, Robin sighed and walked into the swarm, hoping he would run into her eventually.

"Robin?" he heard Starfire's voice call out above the collective voice of the multitude, "Have you become lost?" she asked.

"Star!" he waved a hand above the people's heads, as he was almost too short to be seen amongst them.

"Where are you?" she called once again.

"I don't know." Robin chuckled. Tiptoeing, Robin was able to see a bit of raspberry red standing outside the current of rushing people. Falling back below the crowd, Robin walked in the direction he thought he had seen her until he broke through the crowd onto a bridge that connected both sides of the floor. Finally feeling as though he could breathe again, Robin let out an exhausted sigh. Looking up as Starfire began to walk toward him, Robin quickly hid the box behind his back.

"What happened?" she asked, looking confused, but smiling nonetheless.

"Um, I guess I got lost when the crowd moved in..." Robin said, embarrassed that he had come up with such a lame excuse. As he felt her gaze shifting, Robin hurriedly stuffed the box into his pocket, wondering why he had bought it if he was too afraid to give it to her. But, if he was going to give her the necklace, he knew he had to wait for the right moment, and this definitely didn't seem like the right moment.

Starfire sensed from the tone of his voice that Robin was embarrassed he had gotten lost in the crowd, "Worry not, I was disoriented by the crowd as well." she admitted. "Now that the mall has become overpopulated, perhaps we should relocate to--" Starfire stopped as she heard Robin's stomach growling loudly, which made her realize her own hunger.

Robin looked down, as if scolding his stomach for interrupting, "Heh, how about the food court?" he suggested.

The food court, of course, was on the polar opposite end of the mall, making for a long trip. At the notice of her own hunger, Starfire placed a hand over her stomachs, attempting to quell the rumblings. "It is quite a long way to the court of food, so let us make haste!" before Robin could protest, and why would he, Starfire grabbed his hand and lifted him high above the crowd; with an enormous smile, she proceeded to fly southward to the food court. Robin tried to ignore the stares they were getting from the people on the ground; he didn't want to tell Starfire not to fly, that would be like telling a human not to breathe. As much as the staring people were drawing his attention, Robin found it hard not to focus on the box, which he hoped wouldn't fall out of his pocket and into the crowd somewhere so some guy could open it and yell, 'Hey Robin, you dropped your necklace!'; he shuddered at the thought of Starfire finding out _that_ way.

Several seconds later, another star struck crowd watched as Robin and Starfire descended to an empty table in the food court. Adding to the already massive amount of stores strewn about the mall, the food court had just about every popular fast food joint in existence, as well as many other lesser known restaurants. Before the two could choose one of the many places, they saw Cyborg and Beast Boy moping toward them.

"Hey, I thought you guys were gonna spend the entire time at the arcade..." Robin said, sounding disappointed.

"They kicked us out." Cyborg said, glumly.

"Yeah, they said we were 'taking the games too seriously' or something like that." Beast Boy added, quoting the mall security guard's words, "I swear, break one little machine and everyone's against you." he finished, leaving Robin and Starfire wide eyed and wondering what in the world Cyborg and Beast Boy had done, and whatever it was, would the Titans be paying for it?

About to sit down at Robin and Starfire's table, Beast Boy was immediately caught by the neck of his uniform, "Uh, wouldn't you rather sit over there?" Cyborg pointed in a random direction.

Beast Boy squinted across the way, "What, next to Mega Meaty Meat?" he asked; Cyborg slapped his own face, wondering if he should blame himself for pointing at it, or Beast Boy for pointing out that he pointed at it. "Why would I want to--" Beast Boy turned one eye to Robin and Starfire, "Oh--yeah, I love that place..." he said. Cyborg shook his head and pulled Beast Boy along by the collar.

"I thought this was supposed to be your plan... You're lucky you decided to let me in on it, 'cause if I wasn't here, there would be no _it_." Cyborg complained under his breath.

"Hey, _you're_ the one who pointed at Mega Meaty Meat. Nice job with that by the way." Beast Boy whispered sarcastically as they moved further away.

"Will you both be quiet and just sit down already?" Raven's deadpan voice turned Cyborg and Beast Boy's attention to the table next to Mega Meaty Meat, where she had sat down while they were arguing. With clouds of dark energy, Raven forced the two into adjacent chairs.

"I know I am the one here from another planet but, they can be very strange sometimes..." Starfire commented, watching as Cyborg and Beast Boy struggled against the energy bonds.

"You have no idea..."

- - - - - -

After a long day at the mall, the Titans returned to the tower to spend the remaining hours waiting for the movie to start. Robin spent a while explaining what 'you have no idea' meant after Starfire had taken offense to it; but it all ended well enough, if apologetic giggles and a bone crunching hug can be seen as a good reaction from Starfire.

Standing alone in his room next to a drawer, Robin stared at the open box in his hands; the cleaved surface of the blue gem held many reflections on it, but all Robin could see was Starfire's face. _'You idiot.'_ he thought to himself, _'Do you want to scare her off?' _he sighed. _'What was I thinking?' _Robin questioned, _'If I gave this to her, who knows how she would feel about it?' _he continued his examination of the situation, _'If I don't give it to her, I'll never know...'_ Robin nodded in response to his own thought. _'But when? I've gotta choose the right time.'_ Robin placed a hand on his forehead, thinking intently, _'The day before she leaves. At least then I won't have to worry about it so much, and even if she leaves... she'll always have something to remind her that I'll be here for her, no matter where she is...'_ Robin cringed at the thought of Starfire being so far away; it made his heart feel as though it had stopped beating.

Suddenly, Robin's door slid open with what sounded like a violent metal scraping in comparison to the silence; Robin tensed his shoulders. "Hey Robin, the movie's about to start, we better get going." Cyborg spoke from the doorway.

Quickly, Robin closed the box, and shoved it into the drawer, thanking his luck that he was facing away from Cyborg. "Uh... Yeah." he replied, trying to keep the distress from seeping out through his voice.

"You okay man, you sound--"

"I'm fine." Robin said, walking past Cyborg into the hall. He still believed that the others were better off not knowing, and he would try, as hard as it was, to keep it that way. Without saying anything else, Cyborg waited until Robin was out of sight before he began walking to the living room.

As Robin entered the common room, he saw that Starfire and the others were already waiting by the door. Breathing deeply, he let some of the tension leave him, as he realized he had nothing to worry about for a while; calmed, he walked to the doors and turned back to the hall, waiting for Cyborg. Poking his head around the corner, Cyborg looked kind of agitated, feeling as though he might have pissed Robin off; but under closer inspection, Robin looked a lot happier now that he was standing next to Starfire.

With a well placed 'phew', Cyborg walked over to the doors carrying a newly renewed grin on his face, knowing that his addition to Beast Boy's plan would soon come to fruition.

- - - - - -

Realizing that 'Space Beast 2' was a pretty big premiere, Cyborg drove the T-Car to one of the largest theatres in town; over ten screens on two floors. After all, the smaller theatres would be overcrowded, so Robin and Starfire wouldn't be guaranteed a seat next to each other, and Cyborg's scheme would be ruined. As he pulled the car into a parking spot just outside of the building, Cyborg chuckled at his own brilliant thought process; Robin, who was sitting in the front-passenger seat, saw this and looked at Cyborg with a confused expression.

Cyborg put a hand in front of his mouth and coughed loudly, attempting to mask his amusement, "We're here." he said, swallowing one last chuckle before he opened his door and got out. Robin shook his head, an action which he didn't know was being mirrored by Beast Boy and Raven. Leaving the car, the Titans stared at the large theatre in awe; they normally would have gone to a smaller place, out of the way and discreet... they _were_ superheroes after all. Nonetheless, Cyborg and Beast Boy were excited about being able to see the movie on such a large screen; the thought of advancing their plan suddenly took a backseat to the prospect of being scared out their minds in full surround sound, _'YES!'_ they thought in unison. Raven, indifferent, couldn't really care less about what they were doing at this moment; she had long since gotten over her reaction to 'Wicked Scary' and decided to use the movie as a way to prove that fact to a certain someone. Robin, who enjoyed horror movies just as much as the others, didn't mind the thought of seeing one; however, he was a little uneasy because he felt there were better ways he could be using this time. Starfire, still oblivious to the movie's genre, was just glad that she was going to see a movie with her friends... and Robin; seeing her happy and positive, Robin decided that maybe this _was _a good way to spend the time.

Luckily, the Titans arrived after all the sci-fi horror fanatics had already bought their tickets, which was made clear by the relatively short line to the counter as they entered through the doors.

Kathryn, at her newly acquired job, looked up to see the Teen Titans, with Starfire near the front, approaching the counter where snacks and tickets were sold; her counter. Quickly, she ducked below the desk and tried to sneak away, unwilling to deal with the girl she seemed to have angered so much before. As she attempted her escape, Kathryn stepped on someone's foot. Looking up, she saw a young man with short black hair behind his employee's visor and a slight goatee on his chin, several piercings adorned his ear; he stared down at her with confused brown eyes.

"Ow! Kat, what're you doing--" asked the fellow employee, pulling his foot out from under hers.

"Shh! Can you get this one for me Alex?" she asked, motioning a hand at the group that was walking to the counter as she leaned back against it.

"Well, why can't you--Whoa!" he exclaimed as he saw a tall red-headed girl amongst the Titans, "Can do!" he exclaimed enthusiastically, running up to the counter.

"Thanks."

"Yeah sure, whatever." he responded impassively, keeping his eyes fixed on the enchanting girl who had walked in. Kathryn continued to move away, but stopped when she reached a wall she could hide behind; standing up, she kept an attentive ear focused around the corner.

To Alex's disappointment, Cyborg walked up to the counter first, nearly blocking Starfire from his view. "Five for Space Beast 2 please." Cyborg requested, eager to see the movie.

"Uh, it's PG-13, you sure you're _all_ old enough to see that movie?" Alex questioned, looking at Beast Boy.

"I'm older than 13! We're not called the _Teen_ Titans for nothing!" Beast Boy growled, feeling like he had been handed the children's menu at a restaurant. Hearing a stifled chuckle, Beast Boy turned an accusing eye to Raven who gave him a guilty 'it wasn't me' look.

"Alright, I believe you." said Alex, holding his hands up in defense. Reaching below the desk, he tore five tickets from a sheet and handed them to Cyborg, "It's on screen four, up those stairs and to the right." he pointed up a curved and carpeted staircase to his side as Cyborg handed him the money. Tickets in hand, the Titans began to walk away with Robin and Starfire at the back of the group; suddenly, Alex spoke up again, unwilling to let the girl of his dreams leave so soon. "Can I get you anything?" he directed his question to Starfire, quiet enough that the others wouldn't hear; However, Robin heard, and stopped along with Starfire, detecting a peculiar tone in the guy's voice.

"Oh yes, the snacks." Starfire spoke loud enough that Cyborg could hear.

"Right. Star, could you guys get that?" Cyborg asked as he walked up the stairs with Beast Boy and Raven, wanting to get to the theatre room as fast as possible.

"Of course." she replied, turning around to look at the items and prices listed on the banner above the counter, "Um..."

"Star, huh?" Alex inquired, "That's an interesting name." he said. Standing behind Starfire, Robin tightened his hands into fists and narrowed his eyes at the young man, feeling his blood begin to boil; he knew what the guy was doing, and it made him... jealous.

"It is short for Starfire." she said cheerily.

"Starfire. Heh, I'm liking your vibe." he said, smiling at the name and Starfire's jovial personality; but he had mostly become entranced by her obvious hotness. Still listening from behind the wall, Kathryn rolled her eyes at Alex's idiotic line, _'Oh jeez...'_ she thought; she had known him for quite some time, and not once had he ever spoken like _that_. Robin felt his fingers digging into the palms of his hands, as his breathing became more frequent and angry through his clenched teeth; he thought he might hyperventilate if this went on any longer.

"Please, what is this _vibe_, and where is it located?" Starfire asked, examining herself.

Alex stood still and blinked momentarily, before shaking the confusion from his head, "So what'll you be having babe?" he asked, hoping to sway the conversation away from things that confused her; this didn't work, because she seemed puzzled by the word 'babe'. That sentence was the breaking point for Robin; the fire was now coursing through his veins and he was about to blindly rush up to the counter, but stopped when he heard Starfire's voice.

"Oh, Robin?" she turned around, much to Alex's dismay. "I am not sure what the others would want." she said, masking slight embarrassment.

Robin quickly unclenched his fists and attempted to calm himself before she could notice, "Don't worry..." Robin stepped up to the counter, angry eyes focused on Alex who backed away slightly, "I'll get it." he spoke through his teeth.

Alex chuckled fearfully, realizing that the girl he had been attempting to hit on this entire time, must be Robin's girlfriend. "So, uh... what'll you be having?" he asked, stepping farther away from the counter.

"Two large buckets of popcorn and five sodas." Robin, through a pseudo-calm demeanor, spoke what seemed to be more of an order than a request. Starfire, who was unable to see Robin's facial expressions from where she stood, still heard his tone of voice, and wondered what the guy had done, _'Perhaps speaking of this vibe was a form of insult... is Robin defending me?'_ she wondered, flattered by the notion.

"Um... What kind of... sodas?" he asked, feeling as though Robin would leap over the counter and strangle him at any moment; though he was significantly taller than Robin, the glare he was receiving made Alex feel a lot shorter.

"Surprise me." Robin lowered his voice. Without delay, Alex speedily filled two buckets and five cups with the proper contents, placing them on the counter. After Starfire picked up a few of the items, Robin reached into his pocket and slammed a few bills on the counter, "Keep the change." he said, picking up the remaining items. Watching shakily while Robin and Starfire walked away, Alex exhaled as they both disappeared from view up the staircase.

"Jackass!" Kathryn whacked Alex on the back of the head with her visor, "That was the _Boy Wonder's_ girl! You got a death wish or something?"

- - - - - -

Entering the darkened theatre room with Starfire, Robin scanned the seats for the other Titans as he attempted to juggle the things he carried. The enormous room was set up like a giant staircase, with several rows of seats descending to the bottom of the screen; the kind of theatre where no one had to stare at the back of someone else's head. A Line of dim orange lights across the walls added vague illumination to the shadowy area. The room was filled to the edges with people seated in nearly every chair; though the others would be easy to spot, they were nowhere to be seen.

"Took you long enough." Cyborg said, walking up to Robin in the entrance to the room with Beast Boy and Raven following him, "We were just about to go back for you."

"The guy at the register was... talkative." Robin explained, trying not to sound too angry. Robin was surprised at his own reaction to things back there; and after all this time fronting himself as someone who never lost his cool...

Cyborg took a bucket of popcorn and three cups from Robin and Starfire, handing two drinks to Beast Boy and Raven, "What, no candy?" he asked.

"Hey, you wanna deal with the guy, be my guest." Robin said, pointing a thumb back down the hallway.

"Ah, forget it. The movie's gonna start in a few minutes anyway." Cyborg said, "Come on, there's an empty row near the middle." he said, pointing down the walkway. As the Titans began walking to their seats, the lights faded and the previews began to play. Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven, followed by Starfire, entered the row first; without paying attention to where the others were, Robin sat down in the first seat, next to Starfire.

Looking down the row, Robin saw that the others were sitting on the opposite end, "Why are you sitting all the way down there?" he asked. Cyborg responded by gesturing to his ears and the screen, 'Can't hear you over the previews.' is what he seemed to be saying, with a crafty grin on his face. Robin grimaced; he almost felt like thanking them.

"And now, our feature presentation. Please be sure to turn off cell phones and pagers during the movie." said the standard narration.

After displaying the production company screens, the picture faded slowly into a panorama of a solar system. A large red planet loomed in the in the starry blackness; slowly, the crest of a bright blue star emerged from behind the body, washing out the area in radiant luminance. The camera panned away from the star, bringing the attention to the vastness of space beyond the system; a large wispy violet nebula was held within the banner of stars. Suddenly, a rumbling noise from the speakers filled the theatre, shaking the seats as a large cargo ship came into view on the screen, the bright white light of its engines pulsed while it traveled off into space.

Robin looked to Starfire; she seemed entranced by the seemingly beautiful imagery the movie was displaying.

After the ship moved away, the camera cut to what was assumed to be the ship's interior. The sound of someone's footsteps could be heard tapping against a steel grated floor and echoing across a dark and gloomy metal corridor. A man came in to view, armored in a green militaristic space suit on which was printed the word 'marine', the tinted glass mask of his helmet reflected the light that came from further down the hallway; he carried an elaborate gun in his hands which had a flashlight at the end, holding it up to light his way. Hearing another set of footsteps around the corner, the man quickly shut off his light and pressed himself against the wall, watching as a shadow grew progressively from the ground. The man breathed in deeply, and jumped around the corner, holding his gun at the ready.

"Whoa!" exclaimed another guard in a similar but blue colored suit, "Hold your fire!" he yelled with his hands in the air.

"Oh, rookie." the green guard lowered his weapon, "Sorry, been a little jumpy since the lights went out."

"I told you, my name's not rookie, it's Frost." said the blue suited man, pointing to the name tag on his uniform.

"Well _rookie_, Sarge says were switching patrols." he responded arrogantly, "I'll be taking over watch of the cargo bay, you're heading up north."

"Hmph, alright." grunted Frost. As the marine walked past him, Frost looked back, "I'd be careful if I was you, that thing's freaking out down there... You don't think it could--"

"You're just being paranoid." he cut in, continuing away down the hall.

"It's your funeral." Frost joked under his breath as he headed in the opposite direction. Having walked several feet down the hallway, Frost heard a loud crash from behind him; quickly turning around, he watched as the light down the hall flickered and shut off, but not before he noticed strange movement in the shadows. Switching his light on, he ventured in the direction of the noise, attempting to keep the light steady as he held it up.

"...Evans?" he called out the other marine's name, "What happened?" he asked, hoping for an answer as he focused his light on the ground. Hesitantly walking down the corridor, he stopped and shined his light further down the way. Catching several dark puddles in his spotlight, Frost fearfully aimed his light at the end of the hall; near the far wall, in a pool of what appeared to be blood, the green boots of a lifeless marine on the ground was all he dared to shine his light on. "Oh god..." hearing a metallic thumping noise from above him, Frost pointed his gun upward.

"Robin... what kind of movie is--" Starfire stopped as she watched two enormous claws erupt from the ceiling, pulling Frost through the vents; his screaming was violently cut short, and dark liquid began pouring from the ceiling. "Eep!" she squeaked, grabbing Robin's cape and hiding behind it. Robin, who had been holding the bucket of popcorn, spilled some on the floor as Starfire pulled his cape; he turned to her, looking worried.

"Star, I... thought you knew." he said. His mind had been so preoccupied with other things, that he forgot to explain the movie to her; it made him feel immensely guilty. "It's a horror, like Wicked Scary." he explained.

"Oh." she let out a sigh of relief, "Then you will not mind if I..." she tugged slightly at his cape.

"Of course not." Robin chuckled, "Popcorn?" he asked, holding out the bucket.

Further down the row, Cyborg and Beast Boy who had both been watching, laughed hysterically under their breath, congratulating each other with a well placed high five; Raven, sitting between them, shot them a penetrating glare as their hands covered her sight of the screen.

"How about you _not_ do that again?" she said irately, pushing their hands away, "I was just getting into it." she looked back to the screen, eating a small handful of popcorn.

- - - - - -

"The special effects aren't bad, but that acting was terrible, and those costumes were obvious _Master Chief_ knock-offs." said a stout man in the front row as he shoved another handful of popcorn into his mouth; he appeared to be somewhere in his middle ages, with his slightly balding orange hair that fell below his shoulders and connected to his plump jaw with sideburns. He wore a long black trench coat with strange silver shoulder pads reminiscent of some form of armor, under which he wore a tan robe-like tunic, and brown pants. In his free hand he held a strange looking remote control, the front of which looked like the face of some black demon with glowing red eyes. "Overall, very disappointing. I'll only see it two more times... today." he said to no one in particular, watching the screen intently with the least prominent feature on his face, his beady blue eyes. This man was known, to the few who knew him, as Control Freak.

"Quiet!" said a guy in the seat next to him. Control Freak eyed the man angrily, but slumped back down in his seat and twirled his remote in his hand.

Suddenly, a young man walking by tripped and dropped a soda on to Control Freak, splashing his remote with cola. "My REMOTE!" he yelled, standing up and shaking the soda off.

"Hey, isn't that--" hearing the commotion, Beast Boy stood up and squinted at a figure in the front row.

"Shh! Sit down." said Raven, pulling Beast Boy back into his seat.

Hearing a familiar voice, Control Freak ducked his head below his shoulders, letting the boy who dropped the soda run off; Control Freak turned around to seek the origin of the voice. "The Titans..." he said, examining the seats several rows above his, "They must have known _I _was going to be here. I wasn't even going to pull anything today and they still come to foil my plans. Well, I'll put a stop to that." he said, self indulgently. Laughing maniacally, he took his remote in hand and jumped up on the seats, facing the Titans, "Well, if it isn't my arch nemeses, the Titans!" he yelled, pointing at them. Several people in the audience could be heard slurping soda and coughing. Seeing this, Robin slapped his hand against his face, and all the Titans' facial expressions faltered.

"See, I knew it." Beast Boy said, directing Raven's attention to the man standing on the chairs, "Hey, he actually said it right that time... right?"

"Down in front!" yelled a man from somewhere in the audience.

Control Freak dusted off the mediocre reaction to his presence and continued his ramblings, "And just when I thought it was safe for guys like me to walk the streets again!" he said.

Robin stood up and took out his staff, ready to finish this quickly, "What do you mean _safe_?" he asked, wondering what Control Freak meant. The other Titans reluctantly stood up, hoping that if they took him out quickly, then they could still catch the rest of the movie.

"Let's just say it's been getting a little crowded on the dark side." he replied.

"Yeah, well _let's just say _I'll kick your fat butt myself if you don't sit down, doughboy!" yelled the same man from before.

"Urk. Who said that!" Control Freak demanded.

"Me." said the man defiantly, standing up and pointing to himself.

Sneering at the man, Control Freak took out his remote and pointed it at the screen. "Then I hope you all like this movie, 'cause I'm about to give you..." he paused, taking time to push a button on his remote, "The _extended version!_" he cackled. The Titans suddenly became worried as all the people in the theatre were now in serious danger. With a small electric fizzle, Control Freak's remote shorted out and did nothing.

"You suck!" the man insulted Control Freak. The Titans tried in vain to hide their faces, embarrassed that they knew a villain of Control Freak's _caliber_.

Shaking his remote in frustration, Control Freak glared at the audience, "If this thing was working, you'd be running for your lives right about now!" he threatened. Suddenly, the screen turned pitch black and a large claw emerged from it, as though through some magic portal; at this frightening sight, all the people in the audience began screaming and scrambling for the doors. "Yeah, just like that, only I haven't done anything yet! Come back so I can trap you in the movie!" he shouted, oblivious to the scene that was unfolding behind him. As the rest of the audience left the room, except for the astounded Titans, who remained staring at the screen, the beast emerged fully, revealing itself to be a hulking pale behemoth; the creature stood on all fours, dripping drool from the razor like teeth on its elongated face where any other features, such as eyes, were non existent.

"Uh... C-Control Freak..." Cyborg stuttered, pointing to the screen.

"What--" as soon as he turned around to examine what Cyborg was pointing at, Control Freak was struck on the side by a massive arm, sending him flying across the room where he slammed against a wall, dropping his remote on impact.

"This just got serious." Robin said, extending his staff, "Titans go!"

Despite feeling a little threatened by the look of the enormous monster, the Titans rushed into battle. Cyborg started by blasting at its face with his sonic cannon, causing an explosion to erupt from that position; when the smoke cleared, the beast was now facing Cyborg, undamaged and seemingly angrier than before. The monster began charging at Cyborg, but was met halfway by a barrage of flying theatre seats encased in dark energy; thumping harmlessly against the creature's hide, the chairs fell to the ground around it. Turning its attention now to Raven, the beast growled menacingly and jumped at her. Beast Boy, in gorilla form, leaped in the way, caught the creature, and successfully threw it at the opposing wall, where it hit the floor with a ground shaking thud.

"Cut that out!" Beast Boy yelled angrily at the creature as he reverted back to human form. Even after that attack, the monster stood up and faced Beast Boy, arching its back, "Oh... no." he gulped.

"Hey, ugly!" Robin called, throwing several exploding balls at the beast; much like during Cyborg's attempt, the explosion cleared to show the enraged monster, unharmed and selecting its new target. Robin readied his staff as the creature began to charge him.

"Stay away from him!" Starfire yelled. With the whistle of multiple starbolts, the space beast was struck on the side, turning itself to glare up the seats at Starfire in response; quicker than it had done before, the creature leapt up the rows at her. Before Starfire could react, the look of the monster flying at her triggered something deep in her memories; frightened, she dropped to the ground and attempted to hide below the chairs. Landing above the seats, the monster followed after Starfire as she attempted to crawl away, slashing its claws through the small opening between the chairs which it was too large to fit through. Turning her head to look at the creature, Starfire found herself frozen with fear at the sight of it; her breath became caught in her throat and she began to inhale and exhale shallow breaths. "NO!" she screamed; snarling violently through the opening, the creature slashed once more, this time striking Starfire across the shoulder. Staring in horror at the bleeding wound on her arm, Starfire found herself unable to use her powers, "Robin! Help! I cannot!" she cried. What had seemed like a long time to Starfire, had all happened in an instant and the others were only now reacting to it.

"Starfire!" Robin called, hearing the distress in her voice. Letting pure emotion take control of his actions, Robin leapt across the chairs and threw himself under the creature, barring its jaw with his staff before it could lunge at her while he strongly held his position between it and Starfire. He looked down to see Starfire huddled on the floor, holding her shoulder in pain, pure fear in her eyes; suddenly a thought occurred to him, "Control Freak!" he yelled. Hearing his name, Control Freak stood up with a hand on his head, turning his attention to Robin. "You brought this thing here, GET RID OF IT!" Robin growled at him as the other Titans arrived and attempted to push the beast away.

"Uh, yeah... just--just give me a sec." Control Freak fell to his knees and began searching the shadowy ground frantically for his remote. Wanting to get rid of the monster just as much as the Titans, Control Freak let out a relieved sigh when he picked up his remote; bringing it into the light of the projector, his jaw dropped, "Oh crap." he said, staring at the remote which had a small plume of smoke and the smell of burnt electronics emanating from it.

"Hurry up!" Robin yelled.

"Gimme a second!" Control Freak retorted. Taking out a small screwdriver and opening the back of the remote, he messed around with the inside, hoping that he was fixing the right things in the dark. Exhaling and closing the remote, he pointed it at the screen, "Come on, come on, come on." he said, pressing a button. A stream of light came from the remote and lit up the screen, "Yes! Now, throw it at the screen, that should get rid of it!" he said.

"Easier said... than done." Cyborg struggled, pushing with all his might at the muscular hide of the monster.

"Stand back!" shouted Beast Boy. Cyborg and Raven complied, moving away. Stepping back to a good running distance, Beast Boy morphed into a rhinoceros; snorting, he threw himself over the seats at the side of the creature, sending it flying toward the screen. With the creature's jaw clenched tightly on his staff, Robin was forced to let it go; on impact, the body of the monster tore through the fabric of the screen, landing in a room on the other side.

Robin stood up and glared at Control Freak, "Why didn't that work!" he demanded, watching from the corner of his eye as the monster stood up again.

"I-I don't know... it should have... I think my remote's broken." Control Freak spoke frantically.

Cyborg looked at the creature in the room behind the screen, its image seemed to flicker and fade in the shadows; coming to a revelation, he turned his attention up to the projector room, "Robin, the projector--"

"Got it!" Robin said, throwing an exploding ball at the window. With a loud crash of shattering glass, the film was immediately torched along with much of the projector room in the explosion. Turning his attention to the monster, Robin saw that its image was beginning to fade; snarling, it arched its back and bounded at Robin, arms outstretched.

"Robin look out!" Beast Boy yelled.

Robin quickly looked down at Starfire, then back up to the creature, "No." he responded. Holding his arms up in a defensive stance, Robin prepared to take the full force of the attack; he turned his face away from the monster, bracing himself, but there was no impact, only a quick rush of wind that passed by. He opened his eyes to examine the room; several de-bolted chairs had been strewn about the area, as well as the glass from the projector window, but the creature was nowhere in sight. Letting out a sigh, Robin stepped down from the seats and, turning to Starfire who remained on the ground, held out a hand to her.

"Star--" before he could finish saying her name, he found her arms wrapped tightly around him; resting her head on his shoulder, Starfire trembled and breathed deeply.

"I am... I did not fight... I am sorry." she said, struggling with her erratic breathing. Robin felt warm droplets begin to tap on his shoulder; tears were falling from her eyes.

Attempting to calm her, Robin returned the embrace, "Star, you have nothing to apologize for..." he said, now feeling her violently thumping heartbeat against his chest. Starfire winced as Robin's arm touched her shoulder; Robin pulled away and examined her, "You're hurt." he said, feeling empathetic pain as he looked at the bloody claw marks on her arm. "Raven, can you--"

"Yes." Raven responded quickly, walking over to Starfire as Robin backed away. Placing her hands over Starfire's wound, Raven engulfed the slashes in white light, pulling away to reveal Starfire's arm, fully healed.

"Thank you." Starfire sighed, rubbing her shoulder, "...Robin--" she looked to see that Robin had stormed down the walkway, in Control Freak's direction.

Control Freak who had sat on the ground to catch his breath, saw Robin approaching and began scrambling for the emergency exit on his hands and knees. Barely making it more than a few feet, he was lifted up by the back of his trench coat onto his feet; forcing him around, Robin slammed him against the wall and held onto his shirt with one hand, forming a fist with his other.

"I'll break you." Robin spoke in a low and serious voice, pulling his fist backward; before he could throw his punch, his arm was caught by Starfire. Robin looked back at her and his expression immediately softened.

"Please, do not... Everything is fine now, see." Starfire said, showing him her healed shoulder, attempting to reassure him; he wanted to believe that everything was fine, but her tear stained face told him otherwise. Nonetheless, Robin released Control Freak from his grasp.

"Sorry..." Robin apologized, looking to the ground as he turned away from Control Freak.

"But you have nothing to apologize for." Starfire smiled, returning Robin's consoling words; she lowered herself to meet Robin's eyes, which were focused on the floor. Leaving his remote on the ground, Control Freak bolted for the door when Robin's back was turned, but found himself blocked by Cyborg and Beast Boy.

"Going somewhere?" Cyborg asked, with his arms crossed.

"Yeah, aren't you gonna stick around for the credits?" Beast Boy added, cracking his knuckles.

- - - - - -

Surprisingly, Control Freak offered no resistance when the police came to arrest him, almost seeming sorry for what he had done, if not for the slightly disgruntled look on his face; he didn't even spout any words of intended revenge. Standing outside the theatre with the others, Robin held Control Freak's remote in his hand as the police drove away; when no one was looking, he took out the minor amount of frustration he had left by breaking the remote in two and tossing it in a trash can.

- - - - - -

Back at the tower, the Titans hobbled through the doors, feeling exhausted from fighting. Cyborg and Beast Boy however, felt more than exhaustion, it was guilt that weighed most heavily on their consciences; granted if Control Freak hadn't been there, none of it would have happened, but they still felt responsible for Starfire getting hurt like that.

"Hey Star... it was our fault." Cyborg said remorsefully, turning to Starfire.

"Yeah, you wouldn't have gotten hurt if we didn't drag everyone to that stupid movie..." Beast Boy added, joining in on the apology.

"What do you mean? The movie was intended to be scary, yes?" Starfire asked, "And I think it is safe to say, that was the most frightening movie I have ever been to." she finished, joking to raise their spirits.

"Heh, well you got us there." Cyborg chuckled, "So, was it better than Space Beast 1?"

"WAY better than Space Beast 1!" Beast Boy said, laughing as well, "If I wasn't afraid of, y'know, dying, I'd go see it again." at Beast Boy's joke, everyone except Robin laughed hysterically; Raven wasn't laughing... much, but she did show signs of amusement. Robin just stood and watched as the others jokingly shrugged off the situation; he figured he should be joining them, but he couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't just the wound that had made Starfire cry. Though she wasn't showing it now as she laughed it up with the others, he had seen it in her eyes during the fight, a deep and recessed fear.

After everyone began to calm down off of their chuckles, their laughing soon became yawning. Deciding it was late, the Titans retreated to their rooms to sleep away their exhaustion.

- - - - - -

Starfire opened her eyes; she could see nothing as she looked forward, staring off into a cavernous empty darkness. Looking down, she saw that a large spotlight was being shone on her from somewhere up above, casting its surreal bleaching light on the floor. Attempting to move her arms, Starfire found that her entire body was bound by a strange glowing white rope, which held her upright against a cold metal wall. She began to breathe heavily as panic struck; the sound of every breath seemed to bounce and resonate through the emptiness. Starfire caught her breath when she heard something else, a terrible scraping sound, like large blades being sharpened, was growing more intense in the distance; it was a pattern, scraping followed by silence, repeating over and over again as it seemed to draw closer. Her eyes frantically watched the edge of the light; as she scanned the rim, the sounds came to a deafening stop. Suddenly, several sharp objects sticking out from the shadows on the ground caught her eyes... talons; a low growling sound echoed from their position.

_"Help!" _she tried to speak, but only breath escaped her mouth. _"Robin!"_ she attempted to call out the first name that came to her mind; again, there was no sound.

With a sickening thump, something was dropped on the ground near the talons. A motionless hand which wore a torn green glove rolled out of the shadows as the claws pulled away into the dark, scraping and growling, leaving the hand which she immediately recognized.

_"No..."_ she closed her eyes and turned away, refusing to accept it. Her heart began to beat faster; it too, she could hear echoing through the area. Suddenly, she felt a warm breath on the side of her face; the growling sound was now right next to her ear. As though she couldn't control herself, she turned her face and opened her eyes. She found herself staring at a set of terrifyingly sharp teeth, dripping with a pitch black liquid, the top and bottom rows sheared against each other; opening its jaws wide to reveal its empty black mouth, the creature let out a blood curdling howl.

- - - - - -

Starfire sat up quickly, throwing her sheets to the foot of her bed. She looked around the room in a panic, still not entirely sure where she was; her eyes adjusted to the darkness and the familiar shapes and objects of her room slowly faded into view. Realizing it had all been a nightmare, Starfire attempted to calm herself, but found that she could neither settle down her heavy breathing nor relax her rapid heartbeat; the images and sounds of the vivid dream remained etched on her thoughts. Shivering, she reached down and wrapped the blanket around herself, but discovered that it wasn't the cold that made her tremble. Keeping her blanket on as she stood up, Starfire walked to her door.

- - - - - -

Unable to sleep, Robin sat at the edge of his bed, the look on Starfire's face at the theatre wouldn't leave his mind; he was worried about her, and he knew she wasn't over it yet. He had never seen her so afraid; he had never seen her cry like that. It was all too much to ignore; standing up, Robin began walking to his door, determined to help her in any way he could. He realized how late at night it was, but he knew if he didn't talk to her about it, no one would; no one else had seen the fear in her eyes. Sighing as he made up his mind, Robin slid his door open, freezing in place when he saw her. Starfire stood outside of his door, shivering with a blanket wrapped tightly around her form; she had the same look on her face as before. Her eyes widened as she saw Robin; dropping the blanket in the hallway, she ran up and embraced him tightly, almost seeming as though she was trying to make sure he was real.

She didn't speak, she barely moved, all she did was hold on to him. Getting over his shock, Robin quickly embraced her in return, though she couldn't be any closer to him than she was; he felt her trembling, and he realized what must have happened. "...Nightmares?" he asked in the most comforting tone he could; he felt her nodding her head in response. "I couldn't sleep either." gently pulling away from her, Robin saw that her facial expression had calmed slightly; closing his door and stepping into the hallway, Robin picked up the blanket and placed it over Starfire's shoulders. "Come on." he said with a smile, leading her to the common room. He didn't want to look at the situation this way, it made him feel selfish, but he knew he could use it to show her that he would always be there for her when she needed someone to talk to.

Robin had gone to the kitchen while Starfire sat on the couch, feeling guilty that she had gotten up to bug him in the middle of the night, just because she had a little nightmare. She felt like apologizing, but before she could, Robin returned from the kitchen; walking around the couch, he handed Starfire a warm cup of tea.

"Thank you." she said, taking a sip; the soothing aroma calmed her nerves.

Robin sat next to her, looking a little worried, "It always helps if you tell someone about a bad dream." he said.

Starfire nodded, "On my planet it is common to share the details of such dreams as well." she said, setting down the cup on the coffee table. "...In my dream, I was in a large dark room, my arms were bound by lucidium ropes--"

"Lucidium?" Robin asked, confused by this word he had never heard before.

"It is a metal that absorbs sunlight... My powers may be driven by emotion, but without sun energy I have no means to use them. There were many ways to disable a Tamaranian in battle, fashioning this metal into ropes or nets proved to be the most effective by those who sought to do us harm... When it comes in contact with the body, any energy stored is immediately drained." she explained.

"Oh... Sorry, I interrupted you." he apologized, feeling embarrassed that he was supposed to be listening to her, and here he was, asking questions.

"Yes, the dream. Um..." she trailed off, trying to remember where she was. "I could not move, and all I could see was the floor where a light was being cast. But there was something else in that place... something in the dark." Starfire paused, shivering at the thought of that monster, "It was making such horrible noises. For a moment it came into the light, but I could only see its talons. Then, you..." she stopped, looking away.

"Me?" Robin asked, now wondering more than ever what her dream was about.

"Yes... It dropped you... all I could see was your hand, but it appeared that you were..." she trailed off, unwilling to say that word.

"I see." he said, assuring her that he understood, without making her finish the sentence. He was surprised that she would dream about him... he wondered what that meant, but he decided not to read too deeply into it; after all, dreams can mean absolutely nothing... but then, he dreamt about her all the time.

"Then the creature approached me, and I woke up." she finished; thinking about it now, she found that she was not quite as frightened by the thoughts anymore.

"Was it the one from the movie?" he asked.

"Yes but... it reminded me..." Starfire trailed off, "Even now it is too painful to speak of. Do you understand this feeling?" she inquired.

"Of course. We all have things we'd rather not talk about. Cyborg, Raven, even Beast Boy has something like that." he replied, letting her know that she didn't need to say anything more. "But keep in mind that I'm... we're always willing to listen, all of us." he said, feeling conflicted on whether he should have corrected himself or not.

"Thank you." she smiled, finally feeling as though she was not afraid anymore. "What was your dream?" she asked, attempting to return the favor.

"My dream? Uh..." Robin looked flustered; he hadn't dreamt about anything, but he couldn't tell her what he had been thinking about.

"Yes, you said you could not sleep either." she responded.

"Well... I had a dream that the team was splitting up." Robin lied. He hated lying to her, but there was some truth to it; if Starfire left, the team definitely wouldn't last for long without her. "But it wasn't anywhere near as bad as your dream, so please don't worry about it." he said, hoping she wouldn't ask any more questions, or his conscience might force him to tell her what he knew. "Hearing your dream actually made me feel better about mine." he added for good measure.

"I am glad to hear that." she said happily. This lying to her was beginning to make him feel worse; he decided to change the subject.

"So, did I help at all?" he asked with an unsure smile, scratching the back of his neck, still uncertain as to whether or not he had done anything to take her mind off of that dream.

"Yes, very much." she yawned, struggling to keep her eyes open, "Thank you, Robin." she said, leaning her head against the arm of the sofa; Robin watched as she drifted off to sleep, all the while keeping that beautiful smile on her face. Standing up, Robin walked to her side; lifting the blanket, he moved it up to her shoulder.

Walking to the hallway Robin looked back to her, "Goodnight." he said, switching off the lights.

That night, Starfire dreamt about other things; the thought of the movie and painful memories had completely left her mind. She dreamt of the boy who chased away her nightmares, the one person who was always there to help her.

- - - - - -

Iris stood in a large metal room, under the light of the moon which originated from a window on the high ceiling. The sound of strong winds and crashing waves of water could be heard, though muffled by the thick walls. "That is all I have to report." Iris spoke into the shadows. The only light in the area was being shone brightly on her from above, intensifying the darkness.

"Good. You have most assuredly guaranteed your place here Iris." spoke a deep voice from beyond the veil; his footsteps could be heard tapping on the metal floor as he paced back and forth. "I must ask you to continue surveillance for now." he said, coming to a stop.

"Of course." she nodded in response. Her heavy cloak whipped around as she turned away from the man; taking a few steps, she stopped, "Master, this _Slade_ you spoke of has surfaced... he says that he is watching."

"An empty threat from a weak man, you need not worry about him."

* * *

**Author's Note:** LOL, I can't even begin to tell you how much fun it is to mess around with Control Freak's character XD. The next chapter is nearly half-point, so I'm bringing The Tempest back into the picture with the introduction of "the master" (not his real name). Sorry if this one was delayed a little, but it was significantly longer than my other chapters; over 10,000 words... I hope you can understand why I didn't get this up quickly.

If anyone caught the allusion to the Comic Book Guy from the Simpsons I did, please don't hate me... I was just having a little fun. Oh, I've been meaning to ask this for a while now; I know that OC means _original character_, but what does OOC mean?

I realized I've been neglecting proper gratitude to my reviewers, so I'd like to take this moment to send out a big fatty THANK YOU! and a thousand smiley faces:) x 1000!

hurt deep inside - I don't know what else to say except, thank you! And even that doesn't seem like enough. Thanks for reviewing. :)

Super Chocolate Bear - Fret not. Though he does play a somewhat important role in the story, he will in no way become the main focus.

realfanficts - Don't worry about it. Yours is one of the pen names I look for in the reviews, whether or not you've been critical. :)

sayan-P - It's so great to hear from a new reviewer, especially when you have such nice things to say; this one definitely made my day. Thank you! I hope to hear from you in the future, if possible.

darktank - Your guess was spot on, only they didn't actually go into the movie; the movie came to them... :P

starfire's flame - Kick them off? "Hey Thomas, get off the computer, I need to type up my Teen Titans fan fiction!" Thomas: "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" LOL, Just kidding, I'll try to kick 'em off more often; promise. :) I sincerely apologize for the delay this time around, though it was because the chapter had over 10,000 words, not because of the shared computer dealy.

PrInCeSs 2006 - You weren't slow, I was vague, and I apologize :P. She was actually on a beach beside the city that was facing the tower, using her 'special eyes' to stare in through the windows from that distance.

tigerchic121 - In my first fic "My Strength, and Greatest Weakness" I sort of indirectly used Ra's Al Ghul and his relationship to the Lazarus Pit, to help explain the main enemy's motivation for wanting to be immortal; and I mentioned him by name. Nope, never seen Batman Begins, been meaning to get the dvd though. Thanks so much for reviewing.

PheonixBird - You have no idea how much incentive to continue you just gave me. Thank you so much:)

**Next Chapter Preview:** When a routine trip to foil a crime finds Robin separated from the group and facing a sinister new enemy in battle, he ends up critically injured; but when he returns to the tower, why does he try to hide it from the others? Day 5, Part 1: For Your Sake.


	9. Day 5, Part 1: For Your Sake

**10 Leisurely Days**

by Blue Ten

**Summary:**

Robin finds out that Starfire will be leaving for Tamaran in 10 days. Keeping his discovery a secret, he has a little over a week to give her a reason to stay. But when things keep getting in the way, will he even get the chance? RobinxStarfire

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Teen Titans.

* * *

Day 5, Part One: For Your Sake

The sound of the ocean through the open window gently awakened Robin from a peaceful slumber; it was the best sleep he had gotten in the last few weeks, and he felt completely revitalized, ready to take on another day. Upon opening his eyes, he noticed the sun was not shining as brightly as it had been for the previous days. Looking out his window, on which the curtains were alive and dancing in the wind, he saw that the sky was fairly overcast, slight patches of sky allowed the sun to penetrate with long dim rays of light. As he sat up and removed his covers, Robin shut off his alarm before it could disturb him. Yawning and stretching his arms out, Robin stepped down from his bed; approaching his window, he found that the clouds on the horizon were releasing rain on to the sea, creating a beautiful shimmering veil as it was caught by the light. The moderately strong winds pushed him away from the window and rustled the curtains; it was cool and refreshing, a nice break from the balmy weather of recent days. Closing his eyes, Robin breathed deeply, taking in the relaxing sea air and listening to the crash of the waves on the rocks below. Several small droplets of water began tapping on his face, as a distant splashing noise began to grow; opening his eyes, Robin saw that the sheets of rain were growing ever closer to the tower.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed, as he saw the rain increasing. Quickly, he fought against the wind and slid his window shut; immediately after he did this, rain began tapping against the glass, propelled by the wind. "Phew! That was close." he chuckled to himself, wiping the few droplets of water from his shirt, _'You're in a good mood.' _he thought, almost seeming surprised about his own attitude this morning. Robin couldn't explain it, but after he had talked to Starfire that night, he felt a new and sudden confidence emerge from within; he felt like he could talk to her about anything now, and he hoped she felt the same way... it made the next five days and the many things he wanted to say to her seem much less daunting, though what he would say and do from now until after that tenth day didn't seem any less crucial; he now believed he had the drive to achieve these things.

Stretching once more, Robin walked to his closet, removing a towel and change of clothes; it was early in the morning, and though it was raining out, the day seemed as though nothing could go wrong, and Robin wanted to make the most of every second. Early as it was, Robin quietly made his way to the bathroom, attempting not to wake the others.

- - - - - -

Starfire woke up on the sofa to the sound of rain gently tapping on the main windows, creating streams that ran down and collected loose droplets, distorting the dim sunlight that passed through. Stretching and wearing the same smile she had been all night, Starfire leaned back against the arm of the sofa and pulled the warm blanket up to her shoulders; she couldn't help but giggle adoringly as thoughts of her conversation with Robin that night began to fill her mind once more. She turned her face to look at the cup of tea on the coffee table, which in turn brought Robin's generous and caring character to her thoughts; he had been so kind to her, so understanding... she wondered if perhaps there was a part of him that felt the same way she did, but decided she was simply being hopeful. Warm and cozy under the blanket, Starfire sat still and looked up to the ceiling, listening to the rhythmic tapping of raindrops against the glass as she allowed herself to daydream; it was quite a relaxing moment, waking from a restful slumber filled with wonderful dreams, even after such a stressful experience.

Deciding she had gotten enough rest, Starfire removed the blanket and stood up, walking to examine the weather outside the window. The rain was falling heavily in large droplets, but the sun broke through the clouds and brightened the sheets of precipitation, creating shimmering veils of descending diamonds. When it wasn't accompanied by thunder and lightning, she loved the rain, and now she was so joyful that she almost felt like going outside and flying around in the air; dancing through the falling jewels. She wondered if Robin enjoyed the rain as well; if so, perhaps she could persuade him to enjoy it with her. _'You are quite foolish.'_ she thought to herself, doubting that Robin would go along with such a strange notion, _'Yes, I know, but love is a game made for the foolish.'_ she responded, ignoring her cynical side; Starfire stood still for a moment, contemplating the words she had thought. Love... a concept recognized by all manner of races across the far reaches of the universe, though it was thought of as much more than a simple concept; in each culture it is considered the most precious of feelings one could experience. Love was considered to be even more rare and beautiful in her culture, when taking into consideration that arranged marriages were common place, and love was not often the driving force behind such a union. She had always understood that her affections toward Robin went much deeper than simple admiration and attraction. But as she thought about the subject more, in light of recent events, it made things a great deal more complicated.

Starfire shook her head; there was plenty of time to think about such things later, and she wasn't about to let it affect her mood now. Smiling away any fears and doubts, she turned away from the window, walking to the hall in the direction of her room. Ready to make the most of every moment of the day, Starfire raced to her room, quickly taking a bath towel and change of clothes from her closet.

As she made her way to the bathroom, Starfire saw Robin walking up the hall in her direction; his hair was slightly weighted down by water and fell in front of his masked eyes; pushing his hair back above his forehead, he met her gaze and smiled.

"Morning Star." he said, more upbeat than usual.

"Good morning!" Starfire replied happily, overjoyed to see him so fervent, smiling back as they crossed paths and continued on in opposite directions. She realized that they were almost always up, or at least out of their rooms before the others, and she understood that this was because she and Robin shared the same enthusiasm about the start of a new day. Knowing that her presence could perhaps have caused a smile to adorn his face gave her so much joy that she floated the rest of the way down the hall, twirling gleefully in the air.

- - - - - -

After a quick breakfast, Robin walked to the couch and sat down; he realized that the others still weren't awake. Checking the time on the clock near the television, which was around 5:30 AM, Robin now understood why the others were still asleep, but _he_ definitely felt more energized and awake than ever. Strong tapping noises brought Robin's attention to the windows; walking to the rain drenched glass, he gazed over the edge at the shore of the island. The rain was still falling strong, but it was much different from the storm several days ago; as opposed to being violent, angry, and unrelenting, this little squall was bright and shimmering, almost playful. Robin wondered if perhaps it was simply perspective that changed his feelings about the weather; those who feel happiness within are bound to see it mirrored in the least likely of places.

Watching as the raindrops splashed on the surface of the water far below, Robin knew that the rain would hinder any plans he might have come up with for the day, but he figured there were plenty of things to do within the tower; but would Starfire be interested in any of those things? _'The Gamestation... yeah, that's not gonna happen.' _he thought, brainstorming ideas. _'A game of basketball... the training room...' _Robin chuckled inwardly, realizing that he had been neglecting some of his obligations as leader, _'Hey, if I wanna take ten days off to make sure that she... doesn't leave, then that's my business... she's so much more important than all of that.' _he continued, racking his mind as he tried to figure out something fun to do inside the tower. Robin let out an exasperated sigh as he realized everything seemed to be either too boring, or something Starfire had little interest in. Looking out across the ocean, he was suddenly struck by optimism, _'Just because it's raining doesn't mean you can't go outside.'_ he thought, watching the rain sparkle in the early morning light.

Returning from her bath quicker than usual, Starfire stood in the hallway for several minutes, anxiously fiddling with several strands of her hair; she watched as Robin stared out the window, his expression was fixed tightly and he seemed to be thinking intently about something, all the while she wondered if he would go along with what she was about to suggest. Swallowing a lump which she was surprised to find in her throat, Starfire bit her bottom lip and walked into the living room.

"Oh Robin! You must some see!" she said, masking uncertainty with an impenetrable wall of cheer. Starfire pointed to the staircase in the hallway.

Caught by surprise, Robin hoped that he hadn't been thinking out loud. "Hm, what is it?" he asked with an expression that described genuine interest, turning away from the window to face her.

"There is no time to explain, we must hurry before it is over." she explained; with a large smile, Starfire took Robin by the hand and led him to the staircase. As they walked up the steps, hand in hand, Robin wondered what it could be that had caught her interest so; even from behind, he could tell that she was smiling. Almost floating up the stairs, Starfire opened the door, letting in a rush of cool and moistened air. She turned around to smile at Robin, letting go of his hand.

"See?" she grinned, gesturing her hand at the rooftop. Robin turned his head to the side, trying to figure out what she was talking about; the wind had all but disappeared and the rain was falling straight down, tapping heavily on the rooftop, but there was nothing else in sight. Before he could ask her anything, Starfire stepped out of the door, walking into the rain, "Is it not wonderful?" she asked with her arms outstretched, looking to the sky with closed eyes as she allowed the rain to fall upon her.

Robin held out a hand as though he had been trying to keep her from walking away. "Star, isn't it cold out there...?" Robin trailed off as he watched her recently dried hair become drenched by the downpour; her bangs drifted from their uplifted positions and fell softly over her forehead. The water soon covered her entire person, and the golden sun which shone brightly from its point on the horizon, caught its shimmering splendor within nearly every droplet that had attached to her. She looked... lovely didn't seem like a descriptive enough word, but it was all that would come to Robin's mind at this moment as he became entranced by the warmth of her smile and the unrestrained radiance of the energy she seemed to be giving off.

Starfire twirled around once, whipping her cherry red tresses through the air, "Not at all, it is quite warm actually." she said, wearing her smile beautifully. "You cannot see it from there, you must step outside." she explained, raising her voice slightly above the tapping as she pointed to the sky.

Still in a trance, Robin simply nodded his head and stepped out from the doorway; he felt the rain tapping on his head, moistening down his spiked hair. The atmosphere was reasonably warm, though it didn't stop a chill from running through him. As he stood beside her, Robin forced his eyes away from Starfire to follow her hand to the sky, where he found himself in awe of what he was seeing; the rising sun which remained below the reach of the clouds isolated above the city, cast its long rays through the rainfall, creating an iridescent banner of what could only be described as falling gems. Visible through the sheets of water, several rainbows stretched themselves over the ocean opposite the sunrise.

As she examined his awed expression, Starfire was glad to see that Robin seemed to appreciate the beauty of the scene as much as she did. "What do you think?" she asked.

"It's... incredible. In all the time I've been here, I've never seen anything like this." he said, turning away from the sky to meet her eyes, "How did you notice it?" he inquired, seeing as how he had no idea such a grand spectacle was going on above the tower.

"It was visible through the windows. Is that not what you were looking at?"

"Actually... I was looking at the shore, I didn't think to look up." he chuckled, though he did remember seeing it slightly through the window in his room.

"Then you are not disappointed that I brought you up here?" she asked, uncertainty returning to her expression.

The insecurity in Starfire's tone caught Robin off guard; he would do anything she asked... go wherever she wanted him to, because simply knowing that he could be there with her, knowing that he would get the chance to speak with her gave him more than enough reason, more so than any sunrise or majestic sight had to offer. The fact that she didn't know these things, gave him incentive to show her his devotion. "Of course not. This made my day." he said, reassuring her with a kind smile; in turn, he was freed from worry as she giggled and smiled back. Only Starfire could make standing in the rain enjoyable.

"I am glad. Robin--" Starfire stopped as the rhythm of the rainfall came to a sudden halt; sheets of water could be seen pulling away from the tower. The rainbows in the distance lingered in the mist of the receding shower. Of course, it was at this precise moment that a cool breeze decided to blow across the rooftop. Soaked to the skin, Robin and Starfire both clutched their arms to themselves, shivering as the wind hit them. The wind blew harder, causing Robin and Starfire to huddle closely together for warmth.

"Uh, b-back inside?" Robin asked through chattering teeth, pointing at the doorway. Starfire nodded hastily in response; racing to the stairs together, they ran down several steps and shut the door, shutting off entry of the wind. Letting out a relieved sigh, Robin and Starfire collapsed back against the door, pulling away when they realized how cold it was; laughing at themselves, they proceeded to walk the rest of the way downstairs. At the bottom step, Robin stopped and turned to Starfire.

"Um, we're soaking wet. We can't walk into the living room like this." he said, examining his drenched clothing.

"Ah, I know." Starfire got an idea, "I wonder why I do not do this more often." she said, closing her eyes in concentration; suddenly, she was enveloped in green energy. Robin watched while she quickly dried herself off with her powers; as she stopped, her hair suddenly stuck up in a large poofy mane.

"I-Is that why?" Robin asked, holding back his chuckles as best he could.

"Hmph!" she huffed, fixing her hair back to normality. With a wicked smile, she turned to Robin and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Star, what're you--" Robin stopped as he was surrounded by a green light which warmed his entire body from the inside out. Starfire pulled away when Robin was completely dry and grinned at him; his hair immediately puffed out the same way hers had.

Blinking and staring dumbfounded at his newly acquired hair style, Robin shook the staggered expression from his face; running his fingers through his hair several times, he attempted to fix the problem. When his hair was finally back to normal, Robin turned his attention to back Starfire; unable to keep his staid expression for long, he burst out laughing and Starfire joined him.

- - - - - -

The common room was finally populated by Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven; all three walked around the room, preparing breakfast for themselves and going about their usual morning routines, completely oblivious to the small storm that had just passed. After finishing their breakfasts, Beast Boy called the others over to the couch for a meeting of the minds.

"Day three, or as I like to call it, _phase three_, of our plan begins now." Beast Boy said, grinning widely as he tapped his fingers together in a scheming manner.

"...Yeah" Cyborg commented, rolling his eye.

"So, what're we gonna do today?" Beast Boy asked, hoping for suggestions, "I've already done my share, and since Cyborg messed up yesterday, that leaves him out of the picture..."

"Hey--" Cyborg started, attempting to defend himself.

"Agreed." Raven cut in, monotone as usual.

Cyborg just stared at Raven in disbelief. "I can't believe _you're _siding with _him_!" he yelled, gesturing his hands across the couch at Beast Boy, "I mean, how was I supposed to know Control Freak was gonna be there? And who's to say it didn't work... I heard the two of them talking all last night!" Cyborg finished, crossing his arms in front of himself.

"So, Raven, wanna give it a try?" Beast Boy asked energetically, completely ignoring Cyborg's ramblings. Cyborg gave up, realizing that if anyone could pull it off without incident, it was Raven.

"I'll see what I can do." she answered, smirking slightly; suddenly, Raven's expression changed and she walked away from the couch, "Hallway." she said.

"What?" Cyborg questioned.

"Raven? Aren't you gonna tell us what you had in mind for..." Beast Boy froze up and trailed off as he saw Robin and Starfire exit the hallway together from the corner of his eye, "...breakfast?" he covered for himself.

Hearing this, Robin stood still and cringed for a moment, "What? Raven's making breakfast? Heh, great..." he said in reaction to Beast Boy's question, trying not to offend Raven, though he remembered that the last time she made breakfast it was burnt to a crisp and ushered in the end of the world. Cyborg, and Raven, who knew that she couldn't cook an edible meal to save her life, glared accusingly at Beast Boy; in reply, he gave them a sheepish grin as he attempted to hide himself below his shoulders.

"Oh yes, it is most great! You must make those delicious pancakes again!" Starfire exclaimed, jumping for joy at the thought of Raven's cooking which she had found to be quite appetizing; she pulled a bottle of mustard out of nowhere, giddy with anticipation. The others realized there was no turning back now, as both Robin and Starfire believed Raven was going to cook.

"...Um--" Raven was suddenly cut off by the sound of the alarm.

_'Phew. Saved by the bell.' _thought everyone but Starfire, though they all were a little let down that their plans would be interrupted like this; they had actually grown accustomed to the last couple of lazy days.

Robin sighed heavily, "I guess it was bound to happen eventually..." he said, disappointed as he walked over to the large television screen. Pressing a button on the console with less than enthusiasm, Robin watched as the screen flickered on with a map of the city. A random location that appeared to be of little importance showed up as a small symbol; a yellow hexagon with an 'H' in the center. "The HIVE..." he trailed off, realizing he may not have anything to worry about after all.

"Heh, alright." Cyborg said with a grin, cracking his knuckles.

"If it's the same five kids I'm thinking of, this'll be easier than we thought." Beast Boy added, feeling like this shouldn't take more than an hour out of their day.

"Robin, who called it in? It could be a trap." Raven stated, adding some reason to the seemingly optimistic atmosphere.

Robin squinted at the words displayed on the bottom of the screen, pulling back with an astounded look on his face, "It was called in by a clerk at the... clothing store they're robbing."

- - - - - -

The attention of passers by was brought to a small store at the bottom of a tall building, out of which came running the employees and shoppers. A small bald kid stood just outside of the doors, watching as the people exited the building in panicked groups. On his shaven head, he wore a pair of green tinted goggles; now pulled up to his forehead, they would normally be used to conceal his beady white eyes. He wore a green, turtle-necked, full body sneaking suit, with a rounded metal backpack. As he watched the citizens running off, a large smile that described a certain air of arrogance adorned his face. Hearing crashing sounds from within the store, Gizmo's smile disappeared; pressing a button on the panel attached to his chest, a small clock extended on a mechanical arm from his back pack out into his view. Retracting the clock, he looked up the road, "Any minute now." he said in his squeaky childish voice. Hearing another crash, he turned around to see one of his comrades stepping out from the broken window.

Towering over Gizmo, a pretty young girl with deathly pale skin emerged from the broken display window, carrying several items of clothing possessively in her arms. She had pink hair, styled up into what looked like horns, tied off at the ends by two black bands. Her catlike eyes shared the same pink tint as her hair, and shifted about to examine her surroundings as she stepped on to the sidewalk. She wore a knee-length plain black dress with a long purple collar and striped stockings of the aforementioned colors; her slender neck was adorned by a simple black choker. A thin and crafty smile remained on Jinx's face as she continued on her way to the side of her short companion, following his gaze to the street ahead.

"Still waiting?" she asked, in a voice that would fool one into thinking she was sweet and gentle.

Gizmo eyed the outfits she had picked out with curiosity, "You guys haven't forgotten why we're here, have you?" he asked, raising a stubbly black eyebrow.

"Aren't we shopping for Jinx?" asked a deep and husky voice from behind the others. Towering over Jinx, a large barrel-chested man stepped out from the window, ducking under the top to avoid bumping his head. His costume was a plain black, sleeveless sneaking suit, on which he wore golden chest armor which stretched around his front and back; all of this illustrated his muscular body type. His facial features portrayed that of a caveman's; a ridged brow concealing small, featureless eyes, and a large chin and mouth, from which two primate-like canines extended. Messy orange hair fell below his shoulders, and decorated his chin with a bristly goatee. His expression was plain and, at a glance, would seem to be absentminded. As Mammoth exited from the building, Gizmo saw that he had taken a strange looking 'jester's hat' from the store and now wore it on his head; an odd sight to see on such an imposing figure.

Another mechanical arm extended out of the backpack, snatching the hat off of Mammoth's head, and placing it on Gizmo's, "No scrum buffer, _that's _why we're here." he said, pointing up the street at an approaching vehicle, "Remember, _she's_ watching, so if we screw this up, we can consider our butts... kicked out." he warned, turning around to give his teammates a serious look; in response, Mammoth and Jinx both pointed to the area Gizmo had turned away from.

"Y'know, that's not a good look for you." stated Robin, bringing attention to Gizmo's strange hat. Gizmo lowered his head beneath his shoulders for a moment, feeling as though he had been hit off guard from behind; he turned around to see all the Titans standing outside the T-Car, which had swerved into parking position in the middle of the street. Robin took his position at the face, standing heroically in front of the others. Starfire hovered above the group, both hands and eyes glowing, imbued with solar energy. Beast Boy attempted to stand tall, hands at his sides with a fairly confident smile on his face. Raven stood quietly behind the team, her eyes watching the scene from under the hood of her cloak. Cyborg... was still setting up the many security locks on the T-Car.

"Yeah, that hat doesn't exactly say _HIVE_." Beast Boy added.

"Tch. 'Bout time you snot munchers got here." Gizmo said, throwing the jester's hat on the ground, "And we're under new management now... You can call us, The Fearsome Five!" he proclaimed, pointing a thumb triumphantly at himself. Robin raised an eyebrow as he heard this, wondering who in the world they could possibly be working for now; after all, they seemed so intent on graduating from that academy, and to abandon it now seemed very unlike them.

"I only see three of you." Raven interjected flatly.

Gizmo suddenly developed a sly smile, "And I bet you'd like to know where the other two are, huh?" he chortled, "Can't tell you now, that'd ruin the surprise." Gizmo crossed his arms knowingly.

"Enough talk, let's fight already." Jinx cut in, smiling as she stepped forward, "Attack pattern delta." she said; at her order, the three moved into position, forming a triangle with Gizmo at the point facing the Titans.

"Alright. Titans--" Robin started.

"Gimme a sec... just gotta lock her up." Cyborg interrupted, hurriedly pushing buttons on the door panel. Robin waited, slightly annoyed; across the way, Gizmo tapped his foot in frustration. Taking his key chain in hand, Cyborg pressed a button, causing the car to beep, "There, got it." he said, shamefacedly joining the others.

Robin shook his head, "Titans GO!" he shouted, preparing to enter battle.

"Not so fast. We got a little present for you first." said Gizmo, pulling out a small white remote; with a sharp-toothed grin, he pressed a single button on the face of the device. Chuckling, Gizmo pointed up to the tall building's rooftop. Robin scanned the sky; taking out and extending his staff, he held it at the ready, prepared to tackle any surprises. Two objects high above seemed to leap from the rooftop, catching the sunlight on some sort of metallic surface.

"What is--" before Robin could muster any more words, the two objects crashed into the ground between the Titans and their adversaries, shattering the asphalt and raising large plumes of dust into the air. The Titans reacted by guarding themselves against the flying dust and debris. Pulling his cape away from his eyes, Robin watched as the clouds cleared to reveal two humanoid figures standing in the small crater they created on impact. Identical in structure, the two robotic beings stood tall and thin; a shiny metallic white, their armored bodies reflected the sunlight intensely. In a creepy manner, their lanky arms fell dead in front of them as they swayed from right to left continuously; long sharp fingers, reminiscent of steel blades, scraped against the ground as they did this. Rounded featureless faces had sharp and narrow black outlines describing pairs of eyes painted on them. A strange red insignia was emblazoned on their shoulders; three curved lines spiraling inward to a point.

Beast Boy's jaw dropped to the ground, "GAAAH! They turned their own teammates into robots!" he screamed, running around in circles at the thought of such a horrible act.

Raven reached out and grabbed the frantic Beast Boy by the collar, incidentally choking him in the process, "No, I think they're just robots." she said calmly.

Beast Boy examined the creatures once more; they appeared to have no normal human features at all... and anything resembling human structure was greatly exaggerated. "...Oh." he said, composing himself and massaging his neck as Raven let go.

"That's right, shiny toys from our new boss man." said Gizmo, bringing the small device closer to his face, "Sick 'em." he spoke into the remote. Letting out a simultaneous mechanical growl, the twin robots began haphazardly slashing their claws through the air as they quickly advanced on the Titans. Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven who had moved to the front during the commotion, readied themselves to take on the approaching machines; to their surprise, the robots ignored them completely, going after Robin and Starfire instead. One of the androids, the one closest to him, charged violently at Robin, continuing with its flurry of slashes; fearlessly, Robin began to parry each and every strike with his staff as the robot began to push him farther away from the group; however, he lost his focus when he saw the direction the other machine was taking, and Starfire's safety became his primary concern.

_'Please don't get hurt.' _he thought, fending off the machine as best he could.

Leaping up over the car at Starfire, the second robot projected itself directly at her, flailing its blades wildly in the process; taking Robin's example, she dodged the incoming machine, letting it fall to the ground below her, where she proceeded to blast it with starbolts.

"Robin, Star! C'mon, we've gotta help them!" Cyborg yelled, motioning for the others to follow him as he began to head in their direction.

"No! Cyborg, Beast Boy, Raven; you guys take on the three of them!" Robin said, blocking the unrelenting slashes of the robot, "Five--ah--against five!" he said, feeling himself being pushed back by the force of the strikes against his staff.

"Yes, do not worry about us!" Starfire added, watching as the machine stood up after her barrage. Leaping up at her once more, it pulled back its bladelike hands, ready to thrust them forward; as the robot attempted to spear her, Starfire caught its arms and pulled it back to the street with her. Tightening her grip, she crunched the metal wrists and tore the hands from them, throwing them to the ground where they landed broken and motionless. Seeing this, Robin felt an immense amount of relief, knowing he could focus entirely on his enemy now.

"Alright!" Cyborg agreed, seeing that Robin and Starfire seemed to have their situation handled fairly well. Turning around, he eyed Gizmo, always feeling as though he had a score to settle with the midget, "Titans move!" he shouted. Morphing into a gorilla, Beast Boy grunted and charged at Mammoth. Raven simply held her position as Jinx separated from the group and approached her.

Making the first move, Cyborg fired his sonic cannon at Gizmo, hoping to disable his tech system; before he could be hit, four robotic legs extended from Gizmo's backpack, lifting him high into the air where he stuck his tongue out at Cyborg, letting the blast hit the ground.

"Hah, missed me tin man!" he mocked.

"Did I?" Cyborg crossed his arms, smirking up at Gizmo. Before he could retort, the ground under him began breaking apart; the legs stumbled at the loss of their balance, causing Gizmo to fall toward the open sewers. Reaching out, Cyborg caught him by the backpack before he could fall through; crushing it with one hand, he disabled Gizmo's mechanics, dropping him on the ground where he scrambled to hide behind his teammates.

Jinx continued to nonchalantly approach Raven, "Think your luck will hold out?" she said, focusing her palm across the street; an arc of pink light whipped from her hand, striking a fire hydrant. Water burst from the hydrant as the caps blew off, sending the powerful stream in Raven's direction. Unshaken, Raven formed a shield of dark energy at her side, deflecting the stream at Jinx; the force of the water pushed her backward toward the building.

"You tell me." Raven commented.

As Beast Boy rushed at Mammoth, he found himself grabbed by the shoulders, and lifted up into the air by his opponent. "Heh, featherweight." said Mammoth, holding gorilla Beast Boy high above his head. With a hefty trumpeting sound, Beast Boy morphed into an elephant; feeling his knees buckling, Mammoth was crushed into the ground under the weight of Beast Boy's new form.

Shifting back to human form, Beast Boy jumped away from the dazed Mammoth, joining the others, "Featherweight, heavyweight... it varies." he said, grinning.

"Are you guys even trying?" Cyborg asked, examining the three defeated kids in disbelief.

Gizmo looked past the Titans, grinning at what he saw, "No, we aren't. But we made for the perfect distraction while See-More and Private Hive went off to ransack the tower!" he shouted, making sure that Cyborg and the others heard every word. Cyborg's eye widened, "Blades, return." said Gizmo into the remote he had been holding on to the entire time.

The robot, which had continued to battle Starfire even without its hands, suddenly backed away from her, effortlessly jumping over the T-Car to land between the two opposing teams again. Gizmo, Jinx, and Mammoth began running down the street, while the robot defended their escape; when the three disappeared from view, the android snarled mechanically and leapt up to the rooftop of a short building, vanishing as it fled as well.

Cyborg growled, "We've gotta get back to the tower before--" he started.

As Starfire looked around at the others, she felt her heart sink, "Where is Robin?" she examined her surroundings once more, immensely worried; Robin and the other robot were nowhere in sight.

Cyborg noticed Robin's strange absence, "Robin can take care of himself, the tower can't." he explained, unlocking the doors to the T-Car. "C'mon, we'll need everyone." he said, sitting down in the driver's seat; Beast Boy and Raven decided he was right and entered the backseats. Standing outside of the front passenger door, Starfire took one last look over the area.

"Starfire... he'll be fine." said Cyborg.

Sighing sadly, Starfire sat down in the car, "I hope you are right..." she said; shutting the door, she stared out the window.

- - - - - -

Deflecting the attacks of the relentless machine, Robin looked around at the maze of dark alleys the robot had led him through. Becoming tired of simply dodging and blocking the strikes, Robin chanced injury to duck under a slash; successful in his attempt, he fiercely struck his staff against the robot's legs, causing it to fall to the ground. Moving quickly before the machine could stand up again, Robin raised his staff high; thrusting it down with all his might, the staff broke through the android's face. Resting his weight against the staff, Robin breathed heavily as he watched the robot twitch and finally stop moving; subtle glowing under the machine's armor faded off as its power died. As he pulled the staff from the robot, Robin let out an exhausted sigh.

"Very good, I would expect no less from one such as you." spoke a deep and stony voice from behind him; he sounded almost calm and well-mannered, but there was an underlying tone of malevolence to his speech that chilled Robin to the bone. Robin turned around, narrowing his eyes at the person standing on the opposite end of the alley. Walking toward him was a tall figure, dressed in a simple black uniform; white bands were tied around his wrists and waist. At his side was a sword Robin recognized as a katana, sheathed in its scabbard. As the man made his way into full view, Robin could see that his face was wrapped with the same white bands that adorned his wrists; cold gray eyes stared through the uncovered portion of his mask. On his right shoulder was a red insignia identical to those the robots wore.

"Who are you?" Robin asked, lowering his voice. Though he was considerably worn out from the fight, Robin held his staff up once more.

"I have no real name, but call me _Grey_ if you wish. You survived the poison... and returned to best one of my top operatives." the man came to a stop, several feet in front of Robin, "You have proven yourself against them. Now, prove yourself in _my_ eyes." he said, unsheathing his katana; the sunlight caught itself on the blade as he held it in a traditional stance. Unwilling to listen to the man, Robin reached for his communicator; before he could even touch it, he felt it become ripped away from his belt. Robin turned his head to see the communicator on the ground with a small black dagger sticking out of it, rendered useless; the man held out one hand, the hand he had presumably thrown the dagger with. "Let's keep this a fair fight shall we." Grey said, returning back to his stance.

"Fine." Robin immediately rushed at the man, staff held at his side, angered by this _Grey's _arrogance. His opponent made no move as Robin lifted his staff for an attack. After swinging the staff downward, Robin found that he had only struck the ground; to his left, stood Grey, looking down at him and holding the sword dangerously close to his neck. Robin gritted his teeth; ignoring the blade, he swept his staff over the ground, attempting to knock the masked man over; as though it took no effort at all, Grey simply jumped to avoid the swipe. Seeing an opportunity, Robin rolled across the ground, ending up behind the man who was in the midst of dodging; standing up and raising his staff, Robin slashed forward as fast as he could, sudden and without warning. Robin found that his attack had been stopped as he heard the clang of metal, and felt the force of impact; still facing away from Robin, Grey held his sword over his shoulder, keeping Robin at bay. Robin struggled fiercely to press against the blade, but as hard as he tried, the man was simply too strong. _'He's just toying with me.'_ thought Robin.

"Attacking from behind... Have you no honor?" asked Grey, in a calm tone of voice.

Growling, Robin attempted to kick him; with a simple twist of the sword, Grey forced Robin's staff away, turning around in time to catch his foot. Immediately, he swung Robin around by the leg, throwing him against the opposing wall where he painfully collided with the brick and fell to the ground. Shakily standing up, Robin found that he had dropped his staff, while Grey was now rushing at him, sword pulled backward. Without any time to react, Robin felt an immense pain in his side as Grey came to a stop, inches in front of him, staring through him with his penetrating stone eyes; the edge of the blade felt serrated and rough as the cold steel cut through his skin and muscle. The blade came to a stop and made a crunching noise against the wall, giving Robin the horrifying realization that the sword had passed through him. Robin's vision began to blur as the electrifying pain surged through his entire body from that one point; the only sound he heard was the thunderous pulsing of his heartbeat as he looked down at the sword. Adding to the torment, Grey violently ripped the sword from the wall, tearing it from Robin's side; falling to his knees, Robin held his stomach in pain. From the corner of his eye, Robin could see his staff lying on the ground.

"You have much to learn." stated Grey coldly, wiping the blood from the sword with his gloved hand, returning it to the scabbard thereafter.

Powerful rage overtaking pain, Robin tore his staff from the ground; attempting to run forward, he doubled over, dropping the staff on the ground once more, and clutching his side as the electricity tore through his being.

"The wound won't kill you, so as long as you don't attempt acts as foolish as that again." he said, staring pitilessly down at Robin, who simply glared back up at him. "I will return one day..." he spoke, though Robin could hardly hear him through the pounding of his ear drums, "You would be wise to sharpen your skills by that time; if not, the next time we meet... will be the last." Grey turned away from Robin, beginning to walk down the alleyway. "My children are watching... listening. Speak of this to anyone, and your friends will meet their ends painfully." he threatened, "I spoke of honor before, but deceive me, and the consequences will be dire."

"You're... bluffing." Robin spoke, breathing heavily.

"Well, if you won't do it for your friends... do it for love." Grey said, sounding amused, "You wouldn't want anything to happen to her, would you?" he asked cruelly; Robin said nothing in response, "That's what I thought. Until next we meet." he said, disappearing around a corner.

Taking his staff in hand, Robin used it to help himself to his feet; resting his weight against the wall, he looked at the blurry light at the end of the alley.

"...Starfire."

- - - - - -

Down on the other end of the alley, hidden in the shadows, Grey watched as Robin stumbled his way out. "Reckless... but that will change." he chuckled.

"The boy is much stronger than you give him credit for." spoke a calm and collected voice from somewhere behind Grey, "I would suggest caution... He may just be the end of you."

"Slade. Why do you persist this way?" Grey asked, ignoring his presence.

"I will persist, until I take back what you've stolen from me... Unfortunately, I need you alive for that."

Grey laughed in response, "Why would I return what you have already abandoned?" he asked.

- - - - - -

After searching the entire tower several times for intruders, the Titans stopped their hunt, looking flustered and feeling tricked. Planning to meet up with the others by the main doors on the first floor, Starfire, who had arrived first, crossed her arms and waited, almost impatiently, for the others to show up; she stood close to the doors, ready to leave on a moment's notice. The elevator stopped, opening its doors to reveal Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven; they stepped out of the lift, seeming embarrassed that they had wasted their time like this. They didn't want to look Starfire in the eyes, because they now knew her decision would have been the more efficient course of action.

"There's no one here... Scanners came up negative too." Cyborg said as he approached the doors with the others, avoiding Starfire's gaze.

"May we now go look for Robin?" Starfire asked.

"Star, I'm sure he's alright. I'll just give him a call on his communicator." Cyborg said; holding his arm up, he began tapping on the panel. Starfire felt like scolding herself; she had been so worried, that she didn't think of contacting him. Suddenly, Cyborg's expression changed to one of shock and regret, "...No." he said.

"What is wrong?" Starfire questioned worriedly.

"Robin's communicator... it's been shut off." Cyborg lowered his arm, mentally beating himself up.

"I knew he was in trouble!" Starfire eyed the others as angrily as she could, but found that she couldn't stay mad at them... it wasn't their fault at all. Turning around, she quickly headed to the doors; her eyes looked teary as she hurried away. Before she could rip the doors off as she was planning to, they began to open on their own; intense light from the outside revealed a silhouette in the entrance. Robin stood in the doorway, holding his waist tightly with one arm. "Robin!" Starfire rushed up hugged him tightly, not wanting to let go.

"AAH!" Robin grunted as Starfire embraced him.

"Robin, what is wrong?" she asked, pulling away to examine him.

Robin quickly swallowed the pain he felt when she had touched his wound, "Heh, just got a little bruised up during the fight... nothing to worry about." he forced out a chuckle. Hoping his legs wouldn't give way beneath him, Robin began to walk into the tower; but Starfire stayed by his side with a hand on his shoulder, attempting to help him in.

"How come your communicator was shut off?" Beast Boy asked seriously as Robin and Starfire began walking past the group.

"...The robot broke it." he answered quickly, hoping that Raven hadn't chosen this moment to read his mind, "But... I broke the robot." he added a joke for good measure while he pressed the elevator call button, opening the doors. Stepping into the elevator, Robin gently removed Starfire's hand from his shoulder, leaving her to stand outside with worried eyes, "Thanks. I'm just gonna go make sure nothing's broken..." he said, attempting a smile.

"Do you need help, perhaps Raven could--" before she could finish, the doors closed and the elevator began to ascend.

"That was weird." Cyborg commented.

"Yeah, we can all fit on that elevator... why does he get to go first?" Beast Boy asked, clueless.

Staring at the closed doors, Starfire wondered what Robin was hiding. Remembering how he reacted to her embrace, she realized it must be more than bruises; lifting her hand up to her eyes, Starfire noticed a spot of blood on her fingers where her hand had touched his back. Gasping, she hid her hand from the view of the others.

- - - - - -

Standing in the infirmary after putting himself through several scans, Robin looked over the results on the computer screen; no internal bleeding, no organ damage... Grey knew what he was doing, and had been telling the truth... the wound wouldn't kill him; and if he wasn't lying about that, Robin had little reason to doubt the veracity in his threats. Breathing deeply, Robin walked over to a small cabinet, removing a bottle of disinfectant and a medical cloth; pouring some disinfectant on the cloth, he lifted up his shirt to examine the injury. Though the wound had gone all the way through him, it wasn't bleeding... much. Robin winced as he dabbed both ends of the wound with disinfectant; he knew he would have to suture it if he wanted to keep it from getting infected, but suturing the back would prove to be difficult if not impossible... without help.

"...Robin?"

* * *

**Author's Note:** I feel bad for hurting Robin like that... but it was integral to the story, to say the least. I'll explain the delay with two simple words I think everyone can understand... SCHOOL SUCKS! It was also due to the length of the chapter. I set up the official thread for this fic in the Fanfiction section of the RobxStar shrine (robinandstarfire dot com) if anyone has questions that need immediate answers. :)

I'd like to thank all who reviewed the last chapter. So I'm replying to each and every one of you:)

hurt deep inside - Thank you so much for saying that! I don't think I can put into words how much that means to me!

-EHWIES - Thanks for clearing that up, it's been killing me. Glad to see you back, been missing your wonderful reviews.

princessdza - Is it possible to have a heart attack from compliments? 'Cause I think that's what happened to me here, LOL. Anyway, thank you much! And about your question, Robin's tattooed face was just a little humor insert... but as I was writing it, I couldn't help but think 'symbolism'.

darktank - I figured if Starfire got to be jealous, Robin should get his chance too, so I threw Alex in there, a guy who's ironically friends with Kathryn XD.

darkangelchic - I agree on that Control Freak statement, he's really less of an enemy, more of a nuisance :).

stafire's flame - I broke my promise... :( Thanks for reviewing though!

tigerchic121 - I had a lot of fun writing that chapter, and the jealous Robin thing was one of my favorite parts to do. Yeah, I saw your reviews for MSGW, but that Ghul thing was pretty easy to miss anyway; mentioned just once in a tiny little paragraph XD.

Cat Girl R and S Fan - -EHWIES already told me, but thanks anyway! Thank you so much for reviewing all the chapters so far, that shows dedication:) BTW, yeah that's me at the RobxStar shrine; I've got a thread in the fanart and fanfiction sections. I remind you of Robin? I'll take that as a compliment. :)

sayan-P - LOL you're so funny! You're definitely one of my favorite reviewers now! The monster reminded Starfire of a little run-in she had with a similar creature when she was a child; I'll try and clear this up a little more in a future chapter. :)

Slythergrl2004 - XD you're right, now I feel like going back and editing it... I'm obsessive compulsive that way. Thanks for pointing it out, there's something my spell/grammar checker couldn't catch. :)

realfanficts - Quality reading time, hee. :) This chapter was pretty long too, so I hope you got some quality reading time out of this one as well. Thanks for posting that address in the reviews; it's for a good cause.

banana fritz - Thank you! New reviewers rock!

sapphire - Hee, thanks! I never thought of myself as being good at the humor, but seeing that I got some people to laugh with that chapter makes me happy:)

PrInCeSs 2006 - Yeah, GO ROBIN! We don't often get to see Robin's jealous side, so throwing it into that chapter was a must.

devilofheaven - Mutual gain. Another new reviewer; this rocks! Thank you for the fabulous review, hope to see you next time.

Super Chocolate Bear - Heh, expect more plotting and scheming from them in the coming chapters. :)

cnroxmyworld426 - And just when I thought the chapter wasn't gonna get any more reviews :). Thank you so much, and I will definitely keep writing because there are so many awesome reviewers like you out there.

PheonixBird - You're just... THE BEST! "I have never thought someone (especially a boy, sorry if what I said was not OK :) ) could write stories the way you do." LOL, no that's alright, really it is! Actually, I thought that was very funny XD. Thank you so much for the many kind things you say.

Whoo! Was that everybody?

**Next Chapter Preview:** Starfire discovers Robin's injury, but he can't allow himself to tell her how he got it. Unaware of what really happened to Robin, Cyborg Beast Boy, and Raven hope their newest addition to the plan will help cheer him up, assuming he is mad that the Fearsome Five got away. That night, Starfire decides to speak to Robin about her past, in the hopes that he would trust her enough to speak of himself. Day 5, Part 2: Scars


	10. Day 5, Part 2: Scars

**10 Leisurely Days**

by Blue Ten

**Summary:**

Robin finds out that Starfire will be leaving for Tamaran in 10 days. Keeping his discovery a secret, he has a little over a week to give her a reason to stay. But when things keep getting in the way, will he even get the chance? RobinxStarfire

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Teen Titans.

* * *

Day 5, Part Two: Scars

"...Robin?" standing behind Robin, Starfire's voice was heavy with shock and worry.

At the sound of her words, Robin's muscles tensed, which consequently made the dull aching in his side intensify; fighting away a pain induced groan, he quickly pulled his shirt back down, hoping against hope that she hadn't fully comprehended the extent of his injury. Robin set the cloth on the counter, seeing the amount of blood that had become soaked into it; turning around to face Starfire, Robin attempted to hide the cloth from her view. He realized from the expression on her face that there was no point in trying to keep it from her; she already knew.

"Robin what happened to you?" she asked, stepping forward and squinting at the torn area on his shirt, much of which was saturated by a dark red liquid; he had been covering this spot with his arm when he entered the tower.

"Um, I--" before he could come up with something, Starfire grabbed his shirt and pulled it upward; at this point, he didn't know whether he should be worried that she had found out, or embarrassed that she was now holding his shirt nearly all the way up to his chin. Looking over him closely, Starfire saw a thin gash on Robin's right side, made visible by the reddened flesh and blood that surrounded it. Covering her mouth as she gasped, Starfire let go and examined Robin with concerned eyes. Remembering that there had been blood on his back, she realized that what she had just seen was an entry wound; Robin had been stabbed...

"Are you... W-Why did you not tell... us?" she asked, horrified and visibly shaking at the thought of such a terrible injury. Starfire forced herself a certain distance away from Robin, fearful that if she touched him she would cause him further pain.

Robin felt his heart thumping loudly; he had to lie... if he told her the truth, then he might wake up in the morning to find her... well, he didn't even want to think about it. Just then, he remembered the bladelike fingers of the robot he had been fighting; the perfect cover. "It was the robot... it got me with its claws." Robin found himself stumbling over his own words, which felt like daggers in his throat... if lies could cause physical harm, he would be in an even greater deal of pain at this moment; but, if a lie could save her life, he would let it tear at his throat until he could no longer speak. "I didn't tell you because..." Robin paused for a moment, trying with all his being to find a feasible reason, "I didn't want to worry you or the others..." he let another dagger pierce his swollen throat.

Starfire shook her head, unable to take her eyes away from that spot on Robin's shirt, "...We are your friends, we would not--" cutting herself off in the middle of a flustered sentence, she turned around and began heading to the door in a hurry. "I am going to get Raven, she can--" she stopped as Robin's hand weakly took hold of her shoulder.

"Please... don't." he said, breathing heavily as he had strained himself attempting to catch up with her; he knew if the others were brought into it, they would ask too many questions, and Raven wouldn't think twice about jumping into his mind to figure out what he was hiding... "Please--"

Starfire turned around to face him, "But if you do not heal this wound, you could..." Starfire trailed off for a moment. "Do you wish to... do you wish to..." her bottom lip began to quiver as she struggled with her words, thinking about why Robin wanted to keep such a thing from everyone if it meant risking his life.

"It's not fatal Star, I just need to sew it up." he said, feeling like a monster when he saw the look in her almost teary eyes, a look he had caused; he didn't mean to make her cry...

Starfire sighed, feeling slightly relieved, "But if you would simply allow Raven to--" Robin took Starfire's hands in his, looking deep into her eyes.

"Do you trust me?" he asked.

Starfire caught her breath as she returned his gaze; silenced for a moment, she simply stood with him. "Yes... more than anyone." she replied truthfully, unable to fight him any longer. She felt as though she could see his eyes through the mask; they were pleading with her, asking her sincerely for simple trust... she could not deny them.

"Then please, trust me now." he said, tired of lying, tired of hurting her like this.

Starfire nodded once in response; she knew he must have a reason for wanting to hide his wounds, but he asked for her trust, and she would give it to him without question. Suddenly, Starfire's expression strengthened, "You say you need only close the wound?" she asked.

"Yeah--" he cut himself off as he watched Starfire approach the door, tapping buttons on the panel as she reached it; with a heavy click, the door's security locks kicked in... now no one could get into the infirmary from the outside. Before he could ask what she was doing, Starfire took his hand and led him across the room to the examination table; she gestured for him to sit down on it, to which he immediately complied.

"Now, remove your outer garments." she ordered, pointing at him. Robin's face went red; confused at her request, he looked to her for clarification. "Um... your shirt." she corrected herself.

"Oh." Robin relaxed his facial expression; he would have been amused by his misunderstanding, had the situation not been so serious. Wondering if Starfire wanted to try and sew up the wound, Robin removed his shirt, attempting not to touch the painful area around his side. Setting his shirt down on the table, Robin turned to Starfire, who appeared to be staring at something. "...What is it?" he asked, believing she was staring at the wound on his back; he hadn't seen it, and it made him wonder how bad it actually looked, because she seemed to be staring rather attentively.

"Nothing." she replied quickly, turning her face away as it became hot and red.

"Star, I can sew it up myself, you don't have to--" he started.

Starfire turned back to him, despite the obvious blush in her cheeks, "Nonsense, you cannot possibly seal the exit wound on your own." she explained, "Unless humans carry more joints than I am aware of." Starfire raised an eyebrow.

"Heh, you're right..." he conceded, managing to chuckle slightly. "The stuff you need to sew it up is over th--" Robin pointed to a cabinet adjacent to the table.

"I do not need those things." lifting a hand in front of herself, Starfire focused energy into one finger. From this, Robin deduced that she was going to burn the wounds closed; burning would be much more effective than suturing, though he couldn't decide which would be more painful. Walking around to the other side of the table, Starfire placed her hand near Robin's wound, "...Brace yourself, this can be quite painful." she said.

Robin had experienced plenty of pain in his lifetime and decided he could take it, "I think I can--AAH!" he groaned as he felt an intense burning sensation on his back.

"There. Now the front." she said, floating around the table. Robin straightened up as she placed her hand near his side, "You are ready?" she asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be." he said, one eye twitching as he braced himself. Starfire found it hard to concentrate as she stared at his bare stomach, hoping that the emotions she was feeling now wouldn't intensify her energy. With a searing noise and a stifled grunt from Robin, Starfire closed the wound, stepping back to look at him once more. Standing up, Robin let out a sigh of relief, "Thanks." he said while he looked at the closed gash on his side; as soon as he looked up to her, he found himself locked in an embrace.

"Robin... even if you do not feel comfortable telling the others about such things... please know that I do not think any less of you for becoming injured." she said, using her most caring tone of voice.

_'She thinks it was my pride that kept me from saying anything...' _he thought. Though he felt a great deal of fatigue from the fight, as well as slight stinging from his wounds, Robin wrapped his arms around her in return; he realized that she hugged him a lot, but Starfire was a very affectionate person, it didn't mean anything... did it? "I'm sorry Starfire..." he said, though he felt like he had much more to apologize for, "Actually... you're the only one here I feel like I can talk to about things like this..." he knew what he said definitely wasn't a lie, and it felt good. Robin wondered what he was doing, letting his words run out of his mouth without restraint; he knew if he wasn't careful, he might let slip those three words he'd been thinking about for the last couple of days, but he found her embrace was like truth serum. Standing alone with her, he lost his focus, almost forgetting about the events that had just passed; the man who had threatened him faded away in a dreamy cloud of blissful ignorance as Robin strained to figure out what he would say next. "I..." he trailed off.

"Yes...?" Starfire asked, feeling her face heat up as she realized she was hugging a shirtless Robin; still, she didn't want to let go, there was something about this moment that felt... perfect.

This was it, Robin had reached a point of no return; selfish as it sounded, he was about to throw caution to the wind and let his feelings be known, "Star... you know me better than anyone and--" both Robin and Starfire jumped as something began thumping loudly against the door.

"You okay in there Robin? Why's the door locked?" Cyborg's voice called from the other side; Robin and Starfire froze, remaining in their embrace, unsure of what they should do. Hearing no answer, Cyborg sensed trouble, "Something's wrong. We're coming in!" he said; Cyborg could be heard overriding the security systems from the outside. Quick, yet reluctant, Robin and Starfire let go of each other. Grabbing his shirt from the table as he heard the doors beginning to slide open, Robin covered his stomach with it.

Sliding open the door manually, Cyborg leapt into the room with Beast Boy and Raven following, expecting to see Robin passed out on the floor from the exhaustion he seemed to be displaying downstairs; instead, what he saw caused his and the others' jaws to drop to the floor. Robin, sans shirt, was standing next to Starfire in the middle of the room, both were blushing immensely.

"Whoa..." Cyborg said, trying to piece together what was going on here. Raven simply stood behind the others, one eyebrow raised, almost amused by what she was seeing; too amused to sense anything strange.

"Dude." Beast Boy added, just as confused as Cyborg; suddenly his expression shifted to an enormous grin, "Hope we didn't _interrupt_ anything." he said.

"What are you talking about?" asked Robin and Starfire in unison, trying to divert attention from their guilty expressions.

"I had a couple of bruises..." said Robin, turning to the side at such an angle that the others couldn't see his injuries, "But it's all taken care of now." putting his shirt on, he turned back to the others, "Starfire was just helping."

"That's convenient." said Cyborg with a smirk, "Well, if you don't need our help, I guess we'll be on our way." knowing now that they _had_ interrupted something, he figured they should leave and let things go whatever way they were going; Cyborg grabbed Beast Boy by the collar and led the way out of the room; without saying a word, Raven followed them on their exit.

Once the others had left the room, Robin wondered if they had actually saved him by interrupting; he figured he could have ruined something good by letting his mouth run away like that. He looked to Starfire, who seemed fairly confused by the whole scene; he was glad she hadn't read too deeply into Beast Boy's little comment, otherwise she would probably have a few questions to confront him with at this moment. A slight stinging in his side, which had died down considerably since before, brought Robin's thoughts to the aid Starfire had offered. She always seemed so willing to help him; ready to hold him up when he couldn't walk, to soothe away his pain when he was hurt, or to offer a kind and comforting word when he had become discouraged... he knew that even if she didn't feel the same way as he did, she certainly appeared to care about his well-being, and this gave him hope. Strength, kindness, compassion; she was beautiful in so many ways... Quickly, Robin turned away when he realized he was staring, scolding himself for being so obvious.

As she listened to the retreating footsteps of her friends, Starfire thought about the last thing Robin said before they were interrupted; he was right, being as close friends as they were, she knew him better than anyone else... and yet, much about him was still a mystery to her; she knew so little about _Robin_, the boy behind the mask. However, she understood his reasons and did not blame him for keeping certain things concealed; everyone has their secrets, and Starfire had her share of them... things she attempted to hide from the others through all the years she had known them, events she tried in vain to forget... locked away, deep in those terrible memories. Starfire knew if she ever wanted to know more about Robin, she would have to first tell him about herself.

Thinking intently, Starfire tried to figure out the right moment to speak with him, _'Now is not a good time... I must choose a time and place where we cannot be interrupted...' _she thought, still not wanting the others to know about these things; she was only willing to trust Robin with the details of her past. "Well, I suppose you do not need my help anymore." said Starfire, giggling nervously as she made her way to the door, floating quickly out into the hallway.

Standing alone in the infirmary, Robin was disappointed about Starfire's sudden exit, but glad that she seemed to have forgotten about his wounds; the less she knew about it, the safer she would be. Robin shook his head, now he had two things to worry about... keeping her here, and keeping her safe. He knew he could take care of one of those things sooner than later. Grey didn't know who he was messing with, and Robin wasn't about to let him win; having received the same threats from Slade so long ago, he knew the only way to stop Grey would be to beat him at his own game...

- - - - - -

Stepping into the common room after changing into a less tattered pair of his usual clothes, Robin attempted to stand up straight and act normal; the pain in his wounds had lessened and he found it much easier to keep a steady expression as he walked out of the hallway. He knew he had to keep this from the others as well; after all, Starfire wasn't the only one who was in danger, Grey had threatened everyone. Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven were all gathered around the couch as usual, except Raven was sitting atypically closer to the others; Starfire was nowhere to be seen, _'Must be in her room.' _he thought. The amount of dim sunlight streaming in through the large windows suddenly caught his eye; the sun was more than halfway through the sky, causing Robin to realize it was already well into the afternoon. He realized he must have spent a long time making his way back to the tower in his wounded state... he was just glad that the others hadn't decided to go out looking for him during that time. Noticing from his growling stomach that he hadn't eaten much since his early breakfast, Robin made his way to the kitchen despite the thoughts of that morning's events which caused him to lose his appetite.

Keeping a close eye on Robin, Beast Boy turned to Raven, "So what was it you were planning?" he asked under his breath.

"A movie." she responded plainly.

"Hold on, a movie?" Cyborg asked, "We already tried that and it didn't go so well. You wanna run into Control Freak again? He's probably out of jail by now... how does a guy like him manage that anyway?" he finished, wondering how a simpleton like Control Freak always managed to get out of prison so easily.

"We won't run into him if we don't go anywhere." said Raven, holding up a DVD case.

Beast Boy eyed the case with curiosity, "Lemme see that." he said, taking the case from Raven as she handed it to him; Beast Boy looked at the front and back while Cyborg joined him, "..._Coldest Winter_?" they read off the title in disbelief, "A chick flick? Raven, what are you doing with this movie?" asked Cyborg and Beast Boy in unison, shifting their eyes from the box to Raven continuously.

"It's not... it's a disaster movie about an avalanche." Raven explained quickly.

"Sure, there's an avalanche in it, but it's definitely a chick flick. Have you _read_ the description on the back?" Beast Boy asked, pointing to the back of the case, where he had gone over the mushy details.

Raven stood still for a moment, looking slightly flustered; suddenly, she grabbed the box back from them, "The point is, I know Starfire is going to like this movie. And anything Starfire likes..." she trailed off, implying the rest.

"...Robin likes." Cyborg and Beast Boy spoke, once again in unison, smiling knowingly.

"Or at least he'll try to like it." she joked in her deadpan voice.

"If anything, a little time with Starfire will cheer the guy up." Cyborg commented, "Speaking of that, why do you think he was acting so weird before?" he asked.

"He was probably a little mad that the _'Fearsome Five' _got away." Beast Boy answered, quoting the name sarcastically, "Or... he's mad that we left him down there to fight that robot all by himself." he said, coming to a tooth clenching realization.

"Oh yeah... I forgot about that." Cyborg came to the same revelation, "Y'know, it's probably best if we don't bring that up in front of him..."

"Heh, I'm sure a chick flick and Starfire will be enough to keep Robin busy anyway." Beast Boy chuckled until Raven gave him a glare.

"It's not a chick flick!"

Rummaging through the drawers and cabinets, Robin found that there was barely any food, or anything that appeared to be edible in the kitchen. Strewn across the interior of the refrigerator were several unidentifiable items; the remnants of meals past, most of which needed to be thrown out. Closing the refrigerator door, Robin put a hand over his stomach, feeling the hunger which was caused by the amount of energy he had exerted during that morning's series of battles. Turning his attention to the couch, Robin saw that the others were laughing and joking around, even Raven seemed to be included in whatever was going on; it looked like everything was normal... mostly. Stepping out of the kitchen and making his way to the back of the couch, Robin knew that he had to act like everything was normal; as long as they didn't suspect anything, his would be the only life in danger, and he would keep things that way no matter what.

"There's nothing in the kitchen, you guys wanna go for some pizza?" Robin asked, surprised at how well he had been able to hide it; he hoped it was well enough to keep Raven off his scent.

Cyborg stood up and turned around to face Robin, "Order out, 'cause we're stayin' in! It's movie night!" he bellowed enthusiastically; snatching the DVD case from Raven, Cyborg held it out for Robin to see.

Robin examined the box; a large snow-capped mountain was pictured on the front, under which there was a forest and a small town. In simple white lettering, the title of the movie was displayed at the top, "Coldest Winter?" Robin asked, having never heard of the movie before; had he been aware of the genre, he would have understood why this was his first time hearing about the film.

"It's a... _disaster_ flick." said Cyborg, attempting to lure Robin in with the promise of disaster based storytelling.

"Heh, sure, why not?" Robin agreed, having already decided that he would figure out what to do about the situation after the others go to sleep; for now, he would just play along.

"Alright!" Cyborg exclaimed, walking around the couch and heading to the much neglected phone, "I'll order the pizza; you were gonna go tell Star about the movie right?" he assumed.

Robin wasn't very amused at how Cyborg's assumption was right on the money, "Um... yah." he said, feeling like the others could _all _read his mind when it came to Starfire.

- - - - - -

With the curtains drawn, the atmosphere in Starfire's room was much darker than normal, especially in the waning light of the afternoon which peeked ever so slightly through the bottoms of the drapery. Sitting silent and still on the edge of her bed, Starfire contemplated her decision to tell Robin about herself; though she had no doubt that he would listen, she wondered if she even had the strength to speak of those things. Thinking of the previous night, when she spoke to Robin about her nightmare, she remembered how much better she felt after doing so. These memories that seemed to flood her mind the more she thought about them were so much like nightmares on their own; she wondered if perhaps he could help her find peace with them as well. Starfire thought about that feeling of solace she always experienced when she was with him, that feeling which made her want to stay there by his side and never leave...

A gentle knock on her door brought Starfire back from her trance, "Star, are you awake?" spoke Robin's voice in a slight whisper from the other side.

Standing up, Starfire approached the door, "Yes, Robin." she answered; Starfire had since stopped preceding Robin's name with _'friend' _as she often did in the past, which was a subtle way she had recently devised to let him know how she felt. Quickly, she unlocked the door before he could notice it was locked and slid it open; at the sight of Robin's face, Starfire smiled, unable to dwell on her memories any longer.

As he saw her smiling face, Robin lost track of his burdening thoughts, letting a sincere smile adorn his expression, "The others want to watch a movie tonight, you wanna--"

"Oh yes! That sounds wonderful!" Starfire exclaimed; taking Robin's arm, she began to lead him down the hall. Robin was surprised at how happy she seemed now; guessing that she had forgiven him already, he continued to smile as they walked back through the hallway together. Robin took the time to briefly explain the movie's plot from what he got off the cover. Sitting on the couch with Raven who was looking away, Cyborg and Beast Boy had huge grins plastered across their faces as they saw Robin and Starfire exit the hallway into the common room, arms locked together; Robin ignored their looks, opting instead to simply enjoy his nearness to her. As they walked to the others, arms no longer connected, Cyborg and Beast Boy moved over, freeing up the right-hand end of the couch for them. Sitting down at the very end of the couch, Robin rested his weight on the arm; Starfire sat adjacent to him, both then looked to the others inquisitively.

"Robin has explained the details of this movie to me, and it seems very interesting, shall we begin watching?" Starfire asked.

"Nah, I figure we should wait for the pizza. No use watching the movie on an empty stomach." said Cyborg; having not eaten since breakfast, he didn't want to sit through a mushy movie with hunger pains adding to the torment.

"Maybe it'd be better if our stomachs _were_ empty." Beast Boy said, mimicking someone puking from disgust; at that, Cyborg and Beast Boy burst out laughing, reveling in an inside joke. Raven, sitting on the other end of the couch, rolled her eyes in disapproval. Robin and Starfire just looked on in confusion, equating this seemingly strange behavior to normal Cyborg and Beast Boy weirdness.

After continuously laughing for several minutes, Cyborg and Beast Boy finally began to calm down off their high, which was probably due to lack of oxygen; the fading laughter was immediately stopped as the proximity alert went off. All the Titans stood up and watched as the television screen lit up. Displayed on an overhead camera view was a man carrying several boxes in one arm; he looked at a piece of paper in his free hand, appearing as though he was checking to see if the address was correct, though it was not clear how he could possibly get it wrong... a giant 'T' shaped tower in the bay couldn't really be mistaken for any other location.

"Oh, it's just the pizza guy." said Cyborg, sitting back down on the couch, "Wait, we're on an island. How did he get here...?" he asked, messing up his eyebrow in confusion as the others joined him back on the couch.

"Psh, must be desperate for a tip." explained Beast Boy simply.

"I'll get it." Robin volunteered. Making his way across the living room to the main doors, Robin held down a button on the control panel, "Come on up." he spoke into the speaker. Waiting for a few seconds, he heard the ping of the elevator reaching the top floor; opening the doors, Robin nearly fell over as he saw the person standing there, _'The guy from the theatre...'_ he thought, recognizing him immediately.

"Oh... crap." muttered Alex under his breath, wondering now why he thought he needed the extra money from this new job. "Heh, I... thought this was where you guy's lived." his voice cracked as he felt himself becoming shorter again. Robin didn't say anything, merely taking the pizza boxes from him and handing over a fistful of cash in return.

"It's all there." Robin stated plainly. Starfire, who had recognized this person as well, waved at him from across the room to be nice; Robin saw this and turned back to Alex who seemed a little flustered. "Here's a tip," Robin said; Alex then lost his embarrassed expression, surprised to find Robin lenient enough to offer a tip, "BACK OFF!" Robin yelled, slamming his free hand against the control panel; the doors immediately shut tight, leaving Alex dumbfounded on the other side.

- - - - - -

Alex knelt down and began picking up the money he had dropped, "Kat's gonna whack me again if I tell her about this..." he said to himself, turning around to amble his way out of the tower. "Where did I park that boat?"

- - - - - -

Carrying the pizza boxes in one hand, Robin turned around and froze when he saw all of the others staring at him from the couch, each wore the same expression of surprise; Starfire had her head tilted to the side, curiously examining the situation. "Uh..." he started, trying to come up with a reasonable excuse.

"What, did they forget the pepperoni?" Cyborg asked, almost seriously. Robin sighed in relief; at least they didn't pick up on what it was really concerning. Chuckling nervously, Robin walked back to the couch; setting the three boxes on the coffee table, he reclaimed his seat next to Starfire.

"Alright." Beast Boy said, leaning over to inspect the pizzas. Opening one box, he saw pepperoni, "No." he said; opening another box, he saw sausage _and _pepperoni, "No." he repeated. Turning around, he looked to Cyborg, "You did get vegetarian right?" he asked.

"Uh... Of course. There's vegetables in the kitchen; chop those up, put 'em on the cheese and voila, vegetarian!" Cyborg explained.

Beast Boy narrowed his eyes, "Whatever." he said, opening up the third box to find plain cheese toppings, glad that Cyborg was at least considerate enough to get one without meat. Picking up a slice, he sat back down on the couch and began chomping voraciously at it.

Raven turned to Beast Boy, eyeing him with curiosity, "You do realize that cheese is--" she started.

"Shh! Ignorance is bliss." Cyborg silenced her. Raven shrugged her shoulders; levitating a napkin from the kitchen to herself, she picked up a slice of cheese as well.

"May we now watch the movie? I am most eager to know what it is about." Starfire asked. Beast Boy and Cyborg both had pizza in their hands and mouths, unable to answer Starfire or touch the DVD case. Suddenly, the box became encased in dark energy, the DVD was removed, and began floating over to the disc tray near the television which had miraculously opened, setting itself down while the DVD-player closed the tray; during this entire time, Raven had her eyes closed, nonchalantly taking another bite of pizza.

"Whoa... Now you gotta admit, that's pretty cool." Beast Boy marveled. Raven almost felt like laughing in response to Beast Boy's comment, but kept her cool nonetheless, instead smiling secretly.

- - - - - -

The DVD skipped the menu screen, which was probably Raven's doing as well. With the lights in the common room shut off and barely any sunlight remaining outside, it became completely dark for a moment when the screen faded to black; the room immediately lit up with the static luminosity of the television as the scene opened to show the snowy peak of a large rocky mountain bathed in bright mid-morning sunlight. The camera began panning over the peaks, showing scattered clusters of pine trees while the opening credits rolled through; from far off, a ski resort could be seen where people were snowboarding and skiing down the slopes. Quickly, the camera pulled all the way out to get a full view of the mountains, displaying the small town surrounded by forest; the title of the movie appeared in the clear blue sky above the mountain. During this entire scene, a simple wintry theme was playing in the background, giving the movie a Christmassy tone. As the title faded away, the music stopped, replaced by whistling winds on the mountain side; the new scene displayed a snow covered a sign, the exposed part of which read, "Avalanche Warning"; the camera shifted focus, blurring out the sign to reveal three people trudging through the thick snow in the background.

"You sure this is the right way?" asked a man in a large green wind-breaker to the person at the front of the group, a woman in a similar blue coat, the hood pulled all the way up; his voice, which he raised high above the wind, caused her to cringe.

Turning around, she cupped a hand over his mouth, "For God's sake Frankie, that sign back there wasn't just for decoration you know." she scolded him under her breath, "Why'd you even come along? The guy doesn't need more than one person to show him the way." she shook her head, "The cabin's right up here." she pointed up the slope to a cabin that was located next to a grouping of trees, supposedly it would be safe during an avalanche, protected by a barrier of trees.

The third person, a young man in a black coat, started chuckling at the two people as he walked ahead of the group, "Thanks." he said, as he continued the rest of the way up to the cabin on his own.

- - - - - -

Robin looked to the others; Cyborg and Beast Boy seemed as though they were just waiting to see the avalanche, whenever that would be; Starfire seemed fully engrossed in the film, probably by the snowy winter setting which she did not often see. Robin figured he should try to watch it as well, even though so far it didn't seem like the kind of movie he would normally watch.

- - - - - -

As the story progressed, the man who went to the cabin, Anthony, was revealed to be an author in the middle of writing a novel; however, in the big city he came from, he had found that all the noise and distractions of the metropolis only contributed to his writer's block. Hoping a change of scenery would help him, he rented a cabin up in the snowy mountains, where he thought the peace and quiet would give him the time he needed to finish his book. Unfortunately, he found that the peace and quiet was ironically more distracting... Deciding to take a break from writing for a while, Anthony ventured down to the small town at the base of the mountain. While in a coffee shop/bookstore, he met a girl who he found himself immediately attracted to; they got to talking, which eventually progressed to subtle arguing due to their conflicting interests concerning nearly every topic they came upon. Remarkably, the two didn't stop talking, though to passers by, they seemed to be highly antagonized by each other's presence. As it became late in the evening, the girl who he had come to know as Rachel, decided it was getting late, telling him that she should be leaving; to Anthony's surprise, she said that she had a great time, inviting him to join her again on the next day.

Still contemplating exactly what happened back there, Anthony traveled back up the mountain as the sun set, "Didn't I piss her off?" he asked himself, "After the way I argued with her, I'm surprised she didn't throw that coffee in my face." he continued. Upon returning to his cabin that night, Anthony found that his writer's block had completely disappeared; after getting all the frustrations off of his thoughts back at the coffee place, his mind was clear, and he now had the amount of focus he needed. Anthony finished a good portion of his book before he found himself blocked once again.

As the weeks went by, the two continued to return to the coffee place and... continued to argue, learning more about each other in the process; Anthony returned home every night, finishing more of his book each time.

- - - - - -

Robin saw that Cyborg and Beast Boy seemed to be getting restless now that the pizza had disappeared, fidgeting in their seats. He didn't want to admit it, but he was actually interested in where this was going; Anthony's scary fixation on his book reminded Robin of his own workaholic tendencies... Though Anthony was even more reminiscent of Beast Boy, who always seemed to shoot his mouth off without thinking. Looking to his side, Robin saw that Starfire had not lost interest either.

- - - - - -

One night, Anthony returned home to find that he could not write a single word... and he knew exactly why; there was something on his mind, something he wouldn't dare say to Rachel's face... and since he had gotten rid of his writer's block before by venting what was on his mind, how could he possibly say... he was in love with her. Knowing how intensely their views clashed, he knew that she definitely wouldn't agree with him on this new point he had come across; it frustrated him to no end. The scene that followed was a rather humorous one that consisted of Anthony attempting to rip the stack of pages he had written so far in half, though it proved to be far too thick and he ended up tiring himself out.

Meeting up with Rachel the following morning as promised, Anthony found it much too hard to even talk to her with everything he was thinking about. Aggravated with himself more than anything, he ended up saying something stupid and insensitive; as harsh as their previous "conversations" seemed, what he said at that moment caused Rachel to become truly angry with him. Both stormed off in opposite directions, in another scene that would have been funny, had it not been set up so that the viewer feels sorry for both characters.

Anthony stood on the balcony of the cabin, overlooking the town from high on the mountain, thinking that he should go back and apologize; before he could leave, the ground began shaking and there were curious rumblings from farther up the mountain. Stepping to the edge of the balcony, Anthony peered around a side of the cabin to see what was happening. The camera pulled out to reveal an enormous wave of snow tumbling toward his cabin.

- - - - - -

"Finally!" Cyborg said, throwing his arms up in the air.

- - - - - -

After standing dumbfounded for several moments, Anthony bolted for the door on the balcony, getting inside and shutting it in time to feel the avalanche hit the cabin, breaking the windows on the other side. Looking through the sliding-glass door in front of him, he watched as the snow rolled down the rest of the mountain continuously, seemingly split in half by the slight outcropping his cabin was located on.

The scene immediately cut back to the town. Groups of people began stepping out of their houses and shops, standing in the streets to stare up at the mountain; they watched as an enormous curtain of snow barreled its way down the mountainside.

Sulking at a table inside the coffee place, Rachel hadn't even noticed the commotion. Suddenly one of her friends rushed through the door, "Rachel, there was an avalanche!" she said.

"What?" Rachel stood up, knocking over her chair.

"Well, it's over now but the whole mountainside--"

"I've gotta go." said Rachel, rushing to the doors.

"Wait, where are you going?" asked her friend, too late to stop her at the door.

"Anthony's up there, I need to--"

"But I thought you hated the guy."

"Yeah, me too..."

- - - - - -

Cyborg looked over to Robin and Starfire, suddenly getting a devious idea, "I'd _love _to watch the rest of this..." he said with an unintentional sarcastic tone, yawning artificially, "But man, I'm beat." he stretched out his arms, standing up and walking away toward the hall.

Raven looked to Cyborg and nodded in agreement, "Come to think of it, this isn't really my kind of movie." she said simply, sitting up. As Raven walked away, she noticed she wasn't being followed as expected; turning around, she saw Beast Boy sitting on the edge of his seat, eyes glued to the television screen. Hoping Robin and Starfire wouldn't notice, Raven surrounded Beast Boy with dark energy, attempting to pull him away.

"NOOOO!" Beast Boy yelled, grabbing the arm of the couch as he was lifted into the air, "I've gotta..." he let his speech trail off as he saw Robin and Starfire staring at him from their end of the sofa, "Get... my... beauty sleep." he said, awkwardly. After this, Beast Boy was dropped on the ground where he quickly stood up and chuckled nervously as he backed away in Raven's direction. "What was that about?" he could be heard asking from the hallway.

Robin and Starfire watched as Raven's shadow appeared to slap Beast Boy on the back of the head as both retreated off to their rooms; without saying a word, they simply turned their attention back to the screen.

- - - - - -

After the avalanche, Rachel had apparently made her way up the mountainside despite her friend's warnings. Standing outside of Anthony's cabin, she quickly cleared as much snow away from the door as she could; knocking against it, she began calling out his name. Anthony opened the door and without saying anything, the two met with a hug... breaking apart very quickly. The warm reception didn't last very long as the ground began to shake once more; both looked up the mountain to see another torrent of snow approaching. Immediately, they rushed into the house, pressing their weight against the door to keep it closed. Suddenly, the cabin became very dark; both looked across the room to see that the avalanche had completely blanketed the entire cabin. Visible through the light of the fireplace was the thick snow which had packed itself over the balcony.

Though they were now trapped in the cabin, the two couldn't help but return to the subject of their argument before, demanding apologies from each other. As their tirade escalated, Anthony broke the moment by shouting, "I love you dammit!"

The two immediately stopped yelling, and the scene that followed was a mushy one that involved Rachel admitting her feelings for him as well; looking at the situation from this new perspective, both proceeded to admit their stupidity.

- - - - - -

It was a scene Cyborg and the others were lucky to have bailed on; a scene that, considering the subject matter, made Robin feel very uncomfortable... sitting next to the girl he loved, but couldn't tell. _'You could tell her, you're just too afraid.'_ he explained harshly to himself, _'...Shut up and watch the movie.'_ before he complied to his own demands, Robin looked to Starfire at his side once more; she was sitting with her elbows on her knees, resting her chin in her palms, _'Cute.'_ he thought wistfully.

- - - - - -

The movie was coming to an end; Anthony and Rachel needed to get out of the cabin or they were sure they would run out of air. Managing to dig through the snow leading out on to the balcony, Rachel exited first, but saying that he had forgotten something, Anthony returned to the cabin; crawling back through the tunnel after a few moments, he emerged carrying a large paper-clipped stack of pages in his hand.

"Is that your book?" she asked, slightly confused as Anthony took her hand and led her to the railing of the balcony.

"Yeah, and I think I came up with the perfect ending." he said. Removing the paper clip, Anthony dropped the pages over the balcony, which then twisted and fluttered in the wind that carried them down the mountainside like snowflakes, all the while keeping his eyes on Rachel, "And he lived happily ever after." he said as they both leaned their faces in closer. The movie ended with a kiss, or so it would seem; before the credits rolled, the camera showed Anthony and Rachel walking back down the mountain together.

"So how long were you working on that book?" she asked.

"Um, about a year and a half." he replied as though it was nothing.

"A year and a half! And you just threw it over the mountain like that? You idiot!"

- - - - - -

Robin was glad that the movie had ended on a comedic note, now he could fill what would have been his awkward silence with a chuckle; he was relieved to see that Starfire was giggling right along with him.

"That was good, but I still can't believe _Cyborg_ suggested it." Robin joked, standing up to turn off the DVD player and television. With the TV off and the sun fully set, the room went nearly pitch dark; he took this moment to turn on a lamp which was located next to the screen. Robin turned his attention to Starfire, who was still sitting on the couch; her mind seemed elsewhere, thinking deeply about something. For selfish reasons among others, he didn't want to leave her alone. Recovering his seat next to her, Robin looked to Starfire inquisitively, wanting desperately to ask what was on her mind.

"Robin..." she spoke before he could, "Watching this movie has brought something to my attention." Starfire looked him in the eyes.

Robin felt his heart stop; what had it brought to her attention? Considering the movie's plot, it could only be one thing... "Uh, really...? What's that?" he asked shakily, his breathing becoming irregular; the movie could have brought his own feelings to her attention...

"That it is important to say certain things... before we can no longer say them..." she said, seemingly avoiding his gaze now. Starfire saw it as incredibly ironic how she found it so simple to speak her mind on a daily basis; but now, as she struggled with her words, unnerved and disquieted, it seemed an impossible feat. Robin detected a hint of anxiety in her voice, something he recognized all too well in his own voice when he tried to speak his emotions. _'Before we can no longer say them...?' _he thought about what she said, _'Could she be talking about... before she leaves? What could she want to say?'_ he wondered.

At this moment, he lost all concern he had for his secret being revealed, focusing entirely on Starfire as he now knew what she was speaking of had little or nothing to do with him, "What do you mean?" he asked softly, attempting to meet her eyes once again.

Starfire stopped trying to avoid his looks, thankful that he could be so understanding, "Before... you said that I know you better than anyone..." she said. Robin swallowed; maybe it did have something to do with him. "That may be true... but, there are many things I have kept secret from you... and in comparison, you do not know me at all." she finished, breathing shakily as she looked down at her hands which she clasped together on her knees.

"But Star..."

Starfire took a deep breath, "I wish to tell you about myself." she said, letting exactly what she wanted to say be known, forgetting about her fears and throwing caution to the wind. "So that I will not be burdened by secrets any longer..." she said, though there was one secret she knew she could not tell him at this moment, and it did not concern the past, but rather the present and future of their friendship; revealing that secret could jeopardize what they had, and she could not find it in herself to do so for the sake of what seemed like a selfish, and possibly one-sided emotion.

Robin simply nodded in response to her words, letting her know that he would listen. He didn't care what secrets she had; he was sure that absolutely nothing could change the way he felt about her.

"Thank you..." Starfire took another deep breath, attempting to calm herself; seeing this, Robin gave her a reassuring look; this was enough to help her speak, "My people have been in conflict with many other races... but there was one, when I was very young, which posed the greatest threat to our civilization; The Citadel..." she seemed to cringe at the very mention of the name, "They ruled the other worlds in the star system, Tamaran was permitted freedom until one day... they attacked. The casualties had become far too numerous... so my father met with them, and a deal was made." Starfire paused for a moment to gauge Robin's reaction; she new that what she would say next would cause him to think differently about her, but she wanted him to know who she was. "...I was exchanged as a form of peace treaty." she explained.

Robin stood up quickly, "What?" he asked, unable to believe her own parents would do such a horrible thing, "How could they do that to you?" he felt angry for some reason.

"Countless lives were spared because of this... It was best for Tamaran." she explained sadly.

Robin sat back down; he had heard Starfire say that before, and he found it utterly cruel that what was best for Tamaran, seemed most often harmful to her, "I'm sorry... it wasn't my place to judge them..." he calmed himself, gesturing for her to continue.

"My sister was different than other Tamaranians, and she was deemed unfit to rule, placed last in line for the throne... it was for these reasons that she led The Citadel to capture me." she said; somehow, Robin was not surprised that Blackfire would do that. "For six years, I was enslaved by them." she saw Robin's fist clench.

"Six years? Star..." he tried to quell his anger once again, but he couldn't fathom how anyone could be so cruel to her of all people; if it was at all possible, he found he hated Blackfire even more now.

"Eventually, The Citadel turned against her, selling us both into slavery under the Gordanians. It was during the time we were held captive that I came to believe she had changed." she continued with her story, pausing once again to see Robin's reaction, which seemed to be rather pronounced; she was glad that he cared about her so... it relieved her fears, and gave her the strength to carry on, "Together, we escaped, but we were soon captured by the Psions, a technologically advanced culture who..." she trailed off, thinking now about one of her most fearful memories.

"What is it? Please, you can tell me." he assured her, comfort and consolation in his tone. He didn't want to make her say anything, but with as much as she had told him already, he felt like he needed to know.

Starfire smiled for the first time during their conversation, "Thank you." she said, returning to a serious expression, "My sister and I were subjected to... experiments." Robin was caught off guard by that; he wondered what horrible things they had done to her... "The Psions attempted to test how much solar energy a living body could endure before it is destroyed." she explained.

"It didn't work, did it?" he asked, remembering what Starfire had told him about her powers.

Starfire shook her head, "It did not. In fact, it made us stronger. We began to develop strange abilities." she held up her hand and formed a ball of energy in it to help explain.

"Your starbolts."

"Yes. My sister and I are the only Tamaranians with this ability." she replied, letting go of the energy, dimming the light in the living room once more, "It was these new powers that helped us escape... but I was separated from my sister. I did not know where she had gone." she said. Knowing so much more about Blackfire now, Robin figured she had abandoned Starfire to escape on her own. "Truthfully, the day we met, Robin..." Starfire blushed slightly, thinking back to their first encounter; little did she know, Robin was doing the same thing, "The day we met, was not long after I had escaped... I was running from them." she finished telling her story.

"Starfire..." Robin looked to the ground, "You're the most cheerful person I've ever known... always smiling, laughing... even after all that you've been through... how do you do it?" he asked; comparing his past to hers, all his self-loathing, brooding tendencies seemed like mere melodrama.

Starfire giggled, "I smile, and I am happy, because I was fortunate enough to have met you..." she pondered her words for a moment before she began to panic, wondering how she could fix that statement before he discovers her secret, "You are the first real friends I have ever known." she said, sighing inwardly. Glad to have avoided her own mistake, Starfire looked him in the eyes, deciding to give him a subtle hint instead, "Now, you know _me _better than anyone." she blushed slightly, wondering how he would take that.

Robin almost thought he heard something in her voice when she mentioned her reasons for being happy, a tone he recognized from his own, but equated it to wishful thinking. "Star, now that you've told me these things, I think it would only be right for me to tell you about myself." he said, deciding to pay her back the only way he knew how, "No more secrets between... friends." Robin felt like slapping himself, _'Friends? You idiot...'_ he thought.

_'He does trust me.'_ she thought happily; Robin had never told anyone else about these things.

"But, how about tomorrow?" he asked, looking at the clock by the television, "It's late and I wouldn't want you to lose any sleep because of me." Robin took her hand as he stood up from the couch; _'What are you doing?'_ he asked himself, _'Being a gentleman... if she asks why, just tell her it's a human thing.'_ he ignored his cynicism for once

As she stood up, Starfire stared at their interlocked hands for a moment, before reluctantly letting go, "Of course." she replied, simply the prospect that Robin would think of sharing his past with her was enough. Lifting herself off the ground, Starfire began floating backward to the hallway, keeping her attention on Robin, "Goodnight." she said with an elated smile. As Robin disappeared from her view, Starfire felt like she could float away into sleep; the joy she felt from that morning had returned as though the battle had never taken place.

Standing alone in the living room, Robin felt as though he could almost forget about what had happened earlier in the morning; he was happy again, and it made things seem a lot simpler. Now, more than ever, he knew he couldn't say goodbye to her. The importance of his actions weighed heavily as he thought about them, but Starfire's smile gave him courage and strength; he felt like he could do anything. With a determined attitude, Robin looked to the main doors.

- - - - - -

Midnight patrol, something Robin hadn't done since he left Gotham City; in retrospect, it seemed rather archaic compared with the system the Titans had in place, but back then, he found that he got all his thinking done during these patrols... and now, he had a lot of thinking to do. Kneeling atop a tall building, the shifting lights from the streets below illuminated his form; Robin stared over the edge as the heavy night winds whipped his cape about behind him. The nearly full moon, high above in the wispy cloud-spotted sky, provided the perfect amount of silver light for scanning the area below, even in the darkened alleyways. Robin closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, listening to the rush of traffic and wind, which together formed a quaint harmony of natural and artificial sounds; conjoined, they sounded like a coursing river, cutting its way through the city streets.

Feeling as though he had stayed in one place long enough, Robin opened his eyes; standing up, he stepped backward a good distance, running forward to leap across the gap. In the air, he felt as though he was flying, looking down upon the brightly lit streets below; landing on the opposite rooftop, Robin continued running and leaping over the gaps ahead, unsure of where he was going. Images of Starfire coursed through his mind, more so than usual; his only thought was keeping her safe... That man Grey was far too powerful; never had Robin fought someone with such strength except... He had put all his strength into that battle, fought with more ferocity than ever before, and yet Grey managed to defeat him as though he was nothing... he could have even killed him.

_'But he didn't...'_ Robin thought as he came to stop, kneeling down once again to peer over the edge of the building, _'Why?'_ he wondered. Robin shook his head, _'What's the point in understanding his reason? He threatened everyone's lives, and gave you every reason to believe him.' _he clenched his fists, _'There's only one way to stop this guy... I have to get stronger... beat him at his own game.'_ Robin thought back to the battle; Grey was using a mixture of several traditional sword fighting styles. _'Swords.' _he thought; Robin had been trained in various martial arts forms... but as for sword fighting... he never had any instruction. _'If I learned a new fighting style...' _he let his thought trail off, knowing that if he could learn enough about sword techniques, then he could learn to read Grey's moves before he made them; he wouldn't need to be stronger... No doubt Bruce knew something about swords, but Robin realized he couldn't go all the way back to Gotham for that; there was no time, and he couldn't bring himself to leave Starfire behind... not now. He had to find something in the city... anything.

Robin stood up and leapt across another gap, running on the edges of the buildings which faced the streets; he now scanned the individual buildings, looking for certain ones in particular. In a city of heroes and villains, self defense classes and martial arts training were not in short supply; several dojos were scattered across the city blocks. As many as there were, none of the buildings seemed to offer training in sword techniques. About to give up, one building caught his eye; it had an oriental look to it, so blatant one might mistake it for a Chinese restaurant; however, it was not the look of the building that got his attention. On the plain glass windows were printed the images of several swords, but it was the one sword that stood out to him; the katana.

Dropping down to the sidewalk below, Robin stepped up to the glass to examine a poster on the outside. It gave the hours for classes and read, "Receive training from world renowned swordsman Tyrus Dun. Classes range from beginner to advanced skill levels, in various forms of sword fighting." Robin stepped back and examined the building once more; it was strangely convenient, but he had actually heard that name before; Tyrus... he _was _a well known martial artist. Whether it was coincidence or pure luck, Robin was going to take it... he really had no other clear choice in the matter. Seeing that the lights were on inside the building, Robin wondered if the place was actually open at this late hour.

Stepping in through the glass door, Robin looked around the seemingly empty room. The walls were decorated by various antique swords behind glass displays, as well as several ornate oriental paintings, most of which were calligraphy. The floor of the room was simple polished red wood with a large mat spread across the center. Robin noticed a figure enter from a back room; an old man, carrying a cup of tea in his hands; he seemed oblivious to Robin's presence. The man wore plain clothing; a gray jacket over a white shirt and black pants; he looked nothing like the owner of such a place.

"Are you... Tyrus?" Robin asked, hoping that it was not; though he didn't seem very old, looking to be somewhere in his fifties, with his short white hair and slightly wrinkled facial expression, he still didn't look like a famous sword master.

"Eh?" the man turned around to face Robin, suddenly getting a surprised expression, turning his head to look at the door thereafter, "I thought I locked that..." he said in a gruff and aged voice, scratching his chin with one hand.

"...Are you?" Robin repeated.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm Tyrus. Can't you see the place is closed?" Tyrus pointed to a sign on the window. Robin looked at the window to see a sign attached to the glass by suction cup and string; the side which read "Closed" was facing inward. Seeing this, Tyrus massaged his temples, "For the..." he sighed; walking over to the window, he reversed the sign and turned back to Robin, "...Fine, so you want to learn sword techniques from me do you?" he asked, sounding slightly annoyed.

"How did you know?" Robin asked.

"Come on, when a kid like you walks into a place like this... he's not looking for directions." Tyrus explained almost jokingly.

Robin looked at his uniform, wondering how he thought the guy _wouldn't _know why he was here, "Yes. I need training with the katana." he said.

"The katana is merely a sword. What sword style do you want to learn?" asked Tyrus.

"All of 'em."

Tyrus pulled his head backward in surprise, "Hmph, that's ambitious." he remarked, "Robin right? I guess I could fit you in tomorrow morning--"

"How about right now?" Robin asked, eager to learn whatever he could as fast as he could; Grey hadn't told him exactly when he would return, so he needed to be ready for anything.

Tyrus grunted, "Look, kid--" he started.

Robin stepped forward, "Please, it's important that I learn as much as I can _now_." he said, implying the seriousness of the situation with his tone of voice; Starfire's life was at risk and he wouldn't let anything stop him from protecting her.

Sighing, Tyrus massaged his temples once again, "This is what I get for being an insomniac..." he chuckled self-loathingly, "Alright, we start now then."

* * *

**Author's Note:** I can't use the fic to respond to your reviews anymore, but Fanfiction dot net added a reply feature so now you'll be receiving e-mails as responses instead... My apologies to all those who don't have pen names, but I can't give you responses at all, unless you put up your e-mail addresses.

Phew! That was my longest chapter yet; so factoring in the length of the chapter and the amount of school stuff they made me do, I hope you can understand the delay this time around. I have my own computer now, so I should be able to compensate for all the school work by utilizing uninterrupted access to my very own word processor :).

I just want to let you know that I will never abandon this fic. I mean, why would I? I have the ending all planned out and everything. So no matter how long between updates you wait (which will never be more than a week and a half tops), it just means that things like school have gotten in the way. However, I'm still gonna apologize for the delay.

**Next Chapter Preview:** Feeling like he now has the situation under control, Robin returns to his attempts at convincing Starfire to stay. Mutually unaware of each other's reasoning, Robin and Starfire sneak off in the morning together before the others can interrupt their plans. Day 6, Part 1: Because I Met You.


	11. Day 6, Part 1: Because I Met You

**10 Leisurely Days**

by Blue Ten

**Summary:**

Robin finds out that Starfire will be leaving for Tamaran in 10 days. Keeping his discovery a secret, he has a little over a week to give her a reason to stay. But when things keep getting in the way, will he even get the chance? RobxStar, Slight BBxRae

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Teen Titans.

**Credit:**

Sayan-P provided much of the information regarding swords and sword technique in this and future chapters. Thank you, these chapters would have been very vague without you :P.

* * *

Day 6, Part One: Because I Met You

"We'll start with the basics, since you obviously know little about sword fighting." said Tyrus with a grunt as he tossed what appeared to be a large wooden stick over to Robin, "The bokken is the sword used for those in training." he said as Robin caught the wooden sword in his hands, nearly falling backward under its surprising weight.

"Bokken..." Robin looked down almost condescendingly at the sword in his hands; it wasn't a katana, how could he train properly with it? "I can't train with this, I need something similar to a real katana." he held out the sword in the air as if to return it.

Tyrus narrowed his eyes slightly at Robin, "That would be unwise; if I gave a real blade to someone with as little experience as you, you'd just wind up cutting yourself." he explained; Robin reluctantly lowered the sword, realizing this man knew better than he did, "The Bokken will do for now, in time you can graduate to an _iaito_, a blunt edged katana, if you really feel you need to." he said.

"I do." Robin stated simply, again implying the seriousness of his predicament.

Tyrus looked Robin over, "Why are you so intent on learning this quickly?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

Robin looked to his side, thinking about how he could put this without revealing too much, "There's someone I need to fight; he uses the katana." Robin explained vaguely.

"Ah, a rival." Tyrus said, as if understanding completely, "So this boy defeated you once, and now you're looking to fight him in a rematch." he deduced.

"Uh... yeah." Robin replied, though it wasn't a boy, it was a full grown man as far as he could tell; but Tyrus didn't need to know that, _'Speak of this to anyone, and your friends will meet their ends painfully...'_ Grey's cold voice resonated through his thoughts, he couldn't afford to give Tyrus any more than that vague explanation.

"I know you're the leader of the Titans, so I trust you're not gonna do too much damage to the guy once you get the chance right?" Tyrus asked, making note of Robin's serious attitude.

"No more than I have to." Robin replied, rotating his wrist, getting used to the weight of the bokken, "So, are we gonna start or what?" he asked with slight impatience.

Tyrus chuckled, "Okay." he said, "Set the bokken down by that wall." he pointed at the wall to Robin's left, "I just wanted you to get a feel for the weight."

Robin stepped over to the wall; reluctantly placing the sword on the floor; he turned back to face Tyrus, "But, what about--"

"There are two styles I can teach you for use with the katana; _Iaido_, the art of drawing and cutting with the sword in one motion, and _Kenjutsu_, which is where you'll learn to use the katana in a fight." Tyrus stated, interrupting Robin, "Learning all of this could take a while--"

"I want to learn as much as I can in five days." Robin interjected, figuring he should be ready before Starfire leaves... or doesn't leave; ironically, remaining on earth would put her in more danger if Grey decided to show up after those five days passed... Though Grey seemed like the kind of person who would hurt Starfire and the others whether or not Robin kept his end of the deal...

"What--Five days!" Tyrus exclaimed, clenching his fist in surprise, "How could you possibly expect to learn anything..." he trailed off to examine Robin's facial expression which had remained just as serious throughout their conversation, "...Fine. But you better be a fast learner... I've never taught anyone at the speed your asking... and honestly, it sounds impossible." he crossed his arms.

"Impossible or not, I have no choice."

_'No choice?' _Tyrus thought, sighing, "...You probably have several martial arts styles mastered, correct?" he asked, raising a bristly graying eyebrow.

"Yeah." Robin said, looking to his side, thinking back to his days training under Batman, "Kung Fu, Jujutsu, Ka--"

"Forget about them, 'cause they won't help with the first step." he grimaced, "I said we'd start with the basics, so before you can begin learning _Iaido_, you've gotta prepare yourself physically, using something I like to call... weight training."

- - - - - -

The sound of waves gently crashing against the shore, and the soft whispering breeze, carried in through an open window. Nearly an entire wall in Starfire's room was made up of windows which looked out upon the ocean; with the purple curtains slid entirely open, the bright morning sun, reflecting off of the ocean's shifting surface, cast its brilliance through the wall of glass. Curled up under the blanket, Starfire slept on her side, resting her head on her arms and breathing peacefully; as the sunlight progressively intensified, she found herself bathed in its warm glow. The energy which radiated from the morning star began to flow through her, warming her entire body, gently waking her from a restful slumber; protecting her eyes from the light with her hand, Starfire basked in its glow for a moment, letting it wake her fully before sitting up. Stretching out her arms, Starfire yawned extensively, thereafter moving her hands to her forehead in order to push away a few stray strands of hair. At the sight, and full realization of the glorious day that had emerged just outside of the tower, Starfire smiled widely; though she did not have a problem with the rainy weather of the day before, a sunny day was something that would agree with _Robin_ much more.

Feeling refreshed and energetic after a long night's rest, Starfire stepped out from under her blanket, standing up off the bed to walk over to the window. Starfire watched in awe as the ocean sparkled and shone like the cleaved surface of a shimmering diamond; even in the early morning light, it was alive and intense. The wind was cool and fresh, carrying the salty sea air along its gentle whispering gusts; seagulls sung in the new morning as they flew about the docks in the distance, dancing playfully through the air. The water around the shore below was already bright and blue-green; waves crashed against the island, creating white seafoam around the rocks. It was all very peaceful and inviting; a day that was simply begging to be spent outside.

Stepping back from the window, Starfire wondered how she would get Robin to go along with her, but mostly, how she could keep the others out of it. At the thought of sneaking away with him before the others could notice, Starfire was suddenly struck by guilt; she wanted Robin all to herself, and it made her feel very selfish. However, she was sure that the others wouldn't mind; after all, was it such a bad thing that she would want to spend time with just one of her... friends? Taking one last look at the ocean, Starfire yawned away any lingering effects of sleep; turning around, she exited the room in a timely fashion.

- - - - - -

Robin's alarm clock shot his eyes open by sending its pulsing, repetitive beeps sharply through his ears; the bright light from outside the window immediately blinded him, causing him to squint as the luminance stung his retinas. Robin wasn't surprised that he needed the alarm to wake him up this morning; with all that training Tyrus had put him through, he was surprised he woke up at all. Reaching blindly across his bed, Robin carefully shut off the alarm with one hand, reveling in the peaceful silence thereafter; the gentle sound of the crashing ocean and whistling wind was carried softly through the open window. The harsh bright light still bleached his vision, so Robin moved his head under the dim shadow of the rustling curtains, letting his eyes adjust slowly to the blinding radiance. As his room faded into view, Robin sat up, stretching his arms and scratching the back of his head through his messy, pillow-pressed hair. His muscles ached, and his eyes fought to stay closed, but he was sure he had gotten stronger and learned a few things since before; he was now one step closer to beating that arrogant masked man at his own game.

Throwing the covers from himself, Robin looked across the room again; his movement had kicked up clouds of dust from the blanket, which traveled to the window and seemed to become pulled into a rushing current as they disappeared into the shadows beyond the bright light's reach. Lowering his sore legs over the side of his bed, Robin took a few preparatory breaths before he stood up fully, putting his tense muscles through some much needed stretching. As he walked over to his window, curiosity struck by the unbelievably bright morning, he stretched his right arm out again by rotating it like a windmill, repeating the action with his left before he stopped to rest his hands on the windowsill. Robin was brought out of his slight dream state by what he saw beyond the opening; it was relatively early in the morning, but the sun had already lit the ocean to a brilliant platinum sheen.

Perfect; it was a beautiful day outside, and Robin felt like he needed to seize this opportunity. Seeing as how the others liked to get in the way whether they knew what was going on or not, Robin hoped that Starfire was up early as well; perhaps then he could persuade her to go for a walk before the others decide to wake up. He figured he could use the time alone to tell her his story too. Looking to the side of the open window, Robin saw himself in the reflection; his hair had been completely flattened on one side by the pillow, and the rest was curled and knotted in strange places... he didn't look like himself at all. Before he would show his face to Starfire, Robin decided to at least make himself look normal. Eyeing his reflection one last time, Robin chuckled slightly and turned around; not wanting to waste any time, he rushed over to his closet, removed the usual items and quickly exited his room, heading in the direction of the shower. Whether or not he was fully awake for the day, Robin decided to make the best of it.

Walking down the hallway, Robin listened closely to the silence. Apparently, none of the others had awakened just yet, and it was still pretty early in the morning; he figured there was time left to take a quick shower, and then somehow convince Starfire to leave the tower without the others. Further down the hall, Robin found that the door to the bathroom was closed, inside he could hear the sound of the shower running. Only one other person would be up as early as him, and she took long baths; Robin sighed, it was still quite early in the morning, and everyone had stayed up late, perhaps this won't make a difference. Leaning his weight against the wall beside the door, Robin waited as patiently as he could for her to finish. Now closer to the door, he heard something amidst the sound of falling water; Starfire was humming a peculiar tune to herself; it was very different from the traditional Tamaranian songs, which sounded an awful lot like screaming... it was melodious, and in combination with Starfire's heavenly voice, quite pleasing to the ear. Surprisingly, the shower was shut off rather quickly; a lot sooner than Robin had expected, to say the least. As Robin stepped away from the wall, he heard a sound of surprise from Starfire.

"I forgot..." she said to herself on the other side of the door.

Wondering what she meant, Robin backed away as he heard the handle turning slowly; the door began to move outward ever so slightly as though Starfire was checking around the corner. Confused, Robin turned his head slightly to see what she was doing; as he shifted his view, Robin saw Starfire's face peering around the edge of the door; however, lower down, he saw her bare shoulder.

With a sudden jump in heart rate, Robin now realized what she _forgot_, quickly covering his eyes with his free hand before he saw anything else, "Sorry!" he blurted out, now asking himself why he didn't wait in the living room.

"Eep!" Starfire squeaked, immediately closing the door. A few seconds later, after both had steadied their heartbeats, Starfire spoke up again, "Robin?" she queried, hoping that it was him and not one of the other two boys; however, the voice had sounded so flustered that she could not tell.

"...Yeah." Robin responded, his face red with embarrassment, wondering if it was safe to open his eyes again.

Starfire sighed in relief, "I seem to have forgotten my towel, perhaps you could..." she trailed off, speaking through a slight crack in the door.

Robin opened his eyes and looked down at the towel in his hands, "Oh--Of course." he said quickly, attempting in vain to mask the slight cracking in his voice. Clearing his throat, Robin turned his head away from the door, "Here." he said, holding out the towel with one hand.

The slight creaking sound of the hinges alerted Robin that the door was opening; reaching her hand out through the small gap, Starfire took the towel, quickly shutting the door again afterward, "Thank you." she said. Unfortunately for his conscience, Robin was still close enough to the door that he could hear Starfire drying herself off with the towel on the other side; he shook his head at himself, asking once again why he was not waiting in the living room.

At the sound of the door opening, Robin backed away once again, no longer obstructing his view; however, he carried a rather guilty expression on his face, which he would have preferred to be covering from _her_ view. As Starfire stepped out of the bathroom, Robin didn't know whether he should be relieved or abashed that she was now wearing the towel; no matter which he chose, neither could keep the red from rushing to his cheeks. Relief seemed to be his action of choice though as he saw her expression; Starfire was smiling fervently at something, and didn't seem embarrassed at all, which was more than he could say for himself.

Unable to hold it back any longer, Starfire covered her mouth and giggled, "Your hair is quite... _interesting _this morning." she remarked, trying as hard as she could to stifle her laughter.

"Huh?" puzzled, Robin looked upward as though he would be able to see his hair; suddenly, the memory of his reflection in the window came back. Chuckling nervously, Robin gave Starfire a playful glare as he ran his fingers through the mess of tangles, attempting to straighten it out, "Wasn't my idea." he said jokingly.

Both laughed at this for a moment before Starfire suddenly stopped, "Oh, I must be going." she said, realizing she was wasting time; she didn't want to keep Robin from getting ready, as she wanted to get him out of the tower before the others would wake up. "Thank you." said Starfire as she floated away down the hall. Robin shook his head; not at her, but at himself for watching as she left. Before he entered the bathroom, he stopped to wonder what Starfire had to leave in such a hurry for... if she had other things to do, then he couldn't convince her to go with him. As he shook the thought from his mind in favor of optimism, Robin looked down and realized he didn't have a towel anymore... Unwilling to sneak clothesless through the halls after a bath, Robin quickly returned to his room in order to retrieve another one.

- - - - - -

Dressed in her usual attire once again, Starfire stepped out of the hallway into the common room. She had not taken the time to dry her hair fully, which remained shiny and slightly weighted down; but it would dry out from the air soon enough. The magnificent light of the sun passed brightly through the windows of the living room, obstructed only by the large television screen that cast a long shadow across the floor in the morning light. The intense morning sun led Starfire to wonder why the others had not woken up yet... then again, Raven kept her curtains shut tight during the day, Beast Boy was a pretty heavy sleeper, and Cyborg had a power supply regulating his ability to stay awake; at this moment though, she was glad that the others were not the _earliest of birds_.

Careful not to make too much noise, Starfire lifted her feet from the ground, floating into the kitchen where she decided to wait for Robin as close to the door as possible. As she waited, Starfire examined the shelves and counters in the kitchen; the place was completely void of the usual human food. The only edible food left was her own Tamaranian cuisine, which had remained surprisingly uneaten, stashed away in the cupboards where anyone could find them. Starfire could hear the distant sound of the shower shutting off; knowing that Robin would emerge soon enough, she stopped worrying about wasted time and moved over to the dining room table where she sat down. Something else was on her mind this morning; Starfire wondered when Robin would decide to tell her about himself as promised, but mostly, she wondered what he was going to tell her, though she knew nothing he would say could make her feel any different about him... in fact, she was sure that anything she learned about him would only intensify these feelings of affection, if that was at all possible.

Robin's footsteps sounded hurried as Starfire heard them coming from the hall, which made her hope that he was not busy with something important; if so, then she would not be able to convince him to go anywhere. Robin walked out of the hall, dressed in his regular uniform; his hair was no longer messy and untamed, now spiked up and styled back to normality. To Starfire's surprise, he shot her a rather jovial smile as she came into his sight; this led her to believe that he was not busy with anything, and made her suggestion of going outside so early seem practical.

Upon seeing Starfire sitting at the table, seeming awake and energetic even this early in the morning, Robin knew that if he suggested going outside on a day like this, she would definitely go along; however, being the kind person that she is, she would want to include the others... Robin spent some time thinking about how to get around that little detail as he approached her.

"Good morning Robin, is it not a glorious day?" she asked with an elated smile, attempting to draw attention to the sun outside.

Robin looked at the main windows, squinting as the luminosity struck his eyes, "Oh, yeah. Speaking of that... since it's such a nice day and all, I was wondering if you wanna..." he trailed off, avoiding her eyes, scratching the back of his neck in order to relieve some self-induced stress. Even though Starfire's positive attitude was giving him plenty of confidence, Robin still felt a little nervous because it sounded an awful lot like he was asking her out on a date; he only hoped that she didn't know that.

Starfire gasped under her breath; Robin was asking her question for her. This made things much easier, and she couldn't help but finish his sentence, "Go to the park?" she asked ecstatically as she stood up from her seat, eyes glittering with enthusiasm.

Robin released the back of his neck from his grasp, letting his hand drop dead at his side, "...Yeah." he said, eyes wide with surprise, _'Did she already want to go?'_ he wondered.

Seeing the expression on Robin's face, Starfire panicked, trying to think up something she could say so she would not seem so obvious, "Um, perhaps we should inform the others?" she asked without thinking. Starfire felt like falling over; she had just suggested the exact thing she was trying to avoid.

"Oh..." Robin was severely disappointed, but he had planned for this, "How about you go tell Raven, and I'll see if Cyborg and Beast Boy want to come." he said; knowing that Raven wouldn't want to go anywhere, Robin knew all he had to do was just say that Cyborg and Beast Boy were too tired to go... it _might_ be a lie, but...

"Um, yes." she responded. Both began walking to the hallway in slightly lessened spirits; out of Robin's view, Starfire hung her head below her shoulders, thinking that her idea would be ruined now, because of her own mistake. As she looked at Robin from behind, Starfire wanted desperately to retract her statement, but she knew how that would sound, _'Oh Robin, will you not go **alone** with me to the park? So we can be together, **alone**?' _she mocked herself in thought. Without saying a word, the two gave each other fake smiles as they reached the point in the hall which split off into two opposite directions; Starfire took the right, heading off to Raven's room, and Robin went left, where Cyborg and Beast Boy's rooms were.

- - - - - -

Starfire simply stood outside of Raven's door, holding her hand up in the air as though she was about to knock; she had been keeping this position since she approached the door, nearly a minute ago. Suddenly, Starfire came to a realization; Robin couldn't see her from where he was, so she could just go back right now and say that Raven didn't want to come along... but she figured that would be very dishonest; after all, he had _asked_ her to tell Raven. Sighing, Starfire brought her hand up closer to the door, pulling her wrist backward, reluctantly readying her hand to knock.

"No. Not this early in the morning." came Raven's monotone voice from the other side of the door before Starfire could do anything.

As an uncontrollable smile spread across Starfire's face, she felt herself beginning to float, "Thank you friend Raven." she said, letting herself burst into light giggles.

"Um... you're welcome?"

- - - - - -

Walking up to Cyborg's door, Robin sighed; Starfire wanted the others to come along, how could he deceive her by telling her they didn't want to come? Instead of knocking, Robin slowly slid open the door to a slight crack, looking through the small gap; inside, Cyborg was sleeping on that metal bed of his, hooked up to the recharger. As he scanned the room, something caught Robin's eye; on a monitor beside Cyborg's bed was the readout of his power cell's charge, which had apparently only been filled up to 60 percent. Seeing this, Robin figured it was as good an excuse as any; technically, Cyborg _was _too tired to go. Feeling slightly less guilty, Robin quietly closed the door. Stepping back, Robin looked further down the hallway to Beast Boy's room, wondering what excuse he could come up with as he made his way to the door.

As he stood in front of the changeling's room, Robin only wished that Beast Boy had a monitor that read out his energy levels as well, _'That'd make this a lot easier.'_ he thought, quietly pressing his hand against the door. Once again, instead of knocking, Robin carefully slid the door open, peering inside through the small opening. There was something peculiar; even though it was dark inside, Robin could tell something was missing; Beast Boy usually had a habit of talking in his sleep, or snoring rather loudly, but neither sound was present. Confused, Robin slid the door all the way open and reached inside to turn on the light. In the light, Robin could see that the room was empty and Beast Boy's bunk bed was vacant; strange... but it was reason enough to exclude him. Satisfied, Robin shut off the light and closed the door; turning around, he headed back up the hallway where he saw Starfire returning, without Raven as expected.

- - - - - -

"Raven did not want to go." said Starfire with an enormous smile as she floated down the hallway toward Robin.

"Cyborg and Beast Boy are still sleeping." said Robin, smiling as well, glad that he did not have to lie, "I... guess it's just us then." he added, meeting her eyes; to his surprise, Starfire seemed overjoyed at his comment.

"Well, I suppose they are the ones who are _missing out_." she said happily, "It is such a wonderful day outside. Come, we should make the haste." with that, Starfire grabbed Robin's hand and mirthfully led him into the common room without ever touching the ground. As he followed closely behind, gladly holding on to her hand, Robin was surprised to find Starfire so enthusiastic about going, even though the others weren't coming along; however, he decided not to question whatever fantastic stroke of luck brought this about.

Starfire let go of Robin's hand as they neared the main doors, "Oh, I have almost forgotten." she said, dropping to the ground and making her way to the kitchen. Robin merely watched from the doorway as Starfire searched through the cupboards, pulling out a small blue bag; a cooler with a carrying strap. Unzipping the bag, Starfire rummaged through the drawers and cabinets, placing various unrecognizable items into it; feeling as though she had filled it with enough, Starfire zipped the bag back up, threw the strap over her shoulder, and turned around to walk back to Robin at the door.

"What's in the bag?" Robin asked, eyeing it with curiosity.

Starfire turned to Robin and grinned, "Snacks." she said simply. Even though he thought that there was no food left in the kitchen, Robin found that he was too hungry to ask questions; instead, he simply walked along with Starfire into the elevator.

With a _ping_ sound, the elevator reached the ground floor, opening its doors to the entrance hallway. Robin and Starfire walked to the main doors, in a slight hurry, both wanting to leave as soon as possible. As the enormous doors slid open, the fresh morning air rushed inward, meeting Robin and Starfire with a swift burst of wind before the pressure equalized. Even though the tower's entrance was facing away from the sunrise, the light could be seen clearly, sparkling brightly upon every wave that lapped up against the shore of the island in the distance. The sky, though not entirely clear, was lit up just as magnificently; bright orange and vivid white, the light and fluffy clouds scattered about the atmosphere seemed to have caught fire from the sunrise, in stark contrast to the deep blue sky. As soon as the wind died down, the air was revealed to be remarkably warm and inviting. Still standing in awe, Robin and Starfire stepped out into the sunlight.

"Well, Cyborg won't let anyone else take the T-Car so..." Robin trailed off, about to ask Starfire if she could fly them to the park; however, he didn't want to burden her.

Without warning, Starfire took hold of Robin's hand once again, "It would be my pleasure." she said, smiling as wide as ever.

- - - - - -

Rubbing the tiredness out of her eyes, Raven ventured from her room into the hallway, having been awakened by Starfire's prominent emotions which had penetrated through her sleep with supernatural force. Turning the corner into the common room, Raven decided to get a little meditation done by the window, figuring the light from the sun would help her relax. Something had been on her mind recently, and she couldn't figure out what it was. All she knew was that, though it was barely noticeable to the others, she was not quite acting like herself.

_'Not acting like yourself?'_ a voice spoke up inside her head, _'Isn't the fact that you want to meditate, **in the sun**, a testament to that?'_ one of her many hidden emotions asked cynically. Raven simply shook her head, blocking out the voice as she continued on her way, passing by the couch. Before she could reach the window, something caught her eye. Sprawled out on the couch, sleeping with his mouth wide open and one arm hanging over the edge, was Beast Boy; in his hand, he held the remote control. Seeing this rather amusing scene, Raven felt a slight grin beginning to form on her face. Looking across the room to see if anyone else was around, Raven lifted up a pillow from one end of the couch with her mind; in one quick motion, she sent the pillow flying, right into Beast Boy's face.

"AAH!" screamed Beast Boy as he felt the blunt impact of the pillow against his face. Quickly sitting up, he took the remote in his hands and shut off the television which was displaying a black screen the DVD player switched to when it had been left on all night. Feeling relaxed, Beast Boy leaned back against the couch and let out a sigh, not questioning why a pillow had hit him. Turning his head to the right, Beast Boy found himself looking directly at Raven, who was leaning her weight against the arm of the couch, looking back down at him with an eyebrow raised.

"Chick flick, huh?" she asked, monotone as ever.

Beast Boy's eyes shifted around, trying to think up a comeback... or an excuse, "I--" he started.

"Don't worry, I won't tell Cyborg." said Raven plainly, smirking; stepping away from the couch, she finally walked over to the window. Sitting down and closing her eyes, Raven began to levitate and quietly recite her mantra. Beast Boy huffed and crossed his arms, for once unable to think of anything to say.

Attempting to act normal, Beast Boy straightened up as he saw Cyborg beginning to step out of the hallway. Yawning boisterously, Cyborg walked into the common room, suddenly surprised to see his friends up so early, "Whoa, you guys are up already?" he asked, still yawning slightly as he made his way over to the couch.

"Yeah I'm up, that's what I'm doing, but I'll tell you what I'm _not_ doing, I'm not watching TV." Beast Boy spoke in a panic, now a victim of his own runaway mouth.

Cyborg stopped in his tracks beside the couch; his expression seemed very confused by Beast Boy's ranting. "...Huh?" he questioned; though his mind was part machine, the human half still found it hard to comprehend a sentence like that so early in the morning. Shaking his head as if to free the information from his mind, Cyborg continued walking to the front of the couch, "Where's Robin, and Star?" he asked, surprised most of all to find that the two early birds were not out and about at this hour.

Raven scanned the room with her mind, figuring out where Robin and Starfire had gone from the traces of their energy which remained in the tower, "They left, a few minutes ago." she said, still in meditation by the window.

"What? Where'd they go?" Beast Boy questioned, finally able to forget about his little movie night.

"To the park." Raven answered, attempting to concentrate on her thoughts.

"Eh, oh well. No one said we had to do something _every_ day." Cyborg said, sitting down on the couch and picking up the remote from where it sat, "We've got our own lives, right?" he asked what he thought was a rhetorical question.

After a short silence, Beast Boy spoke up, "If there were crickets in here, this is where they'd start chirping." he commented.

- - - - - -

The sun remained near to the horizon, hardly given a chance to rise any further while Robin and Starfire arrived promptly at the park. Much darker than the ocean-side since the sun needed to pass through trees and tall buildings to bring in any light, the park was quiet and empty; even the sounds of traffic in the distance were soft and infrequent. What little light that did manage to penetrate through the obstructions, carried itself far across the park in bright, lengthy rays which flickered as the wind shifted through the treetops, creating an impressive light show. The quiet was fairly unusual for a busy city like this, but it was a welcome change; quite peaceful and refreshing.

Having made their landing in the park several minutes ago, Robin and Starfire decided they could finally slow down now that they had reached their destination; walking to the usual spot, they admired the scenery which the sunrise had breathed new life into. The streams flowed calmly, winding alongside the various cobblestone pathways which the two heroes followed to the Titans' favorite hangout in the park. Off the path and up a grassy hill was a single picnic table positioned under a large broad-trunked tree.

"If you are hungry, I have brought the breakfast." Starfire said with a smile as she moved to one side of the table and set her bag down.

"Yeah, I guess I could eat." Robin replied, trying not to let on that he felt like he was starving; with all the energy he had exerted during training, he was surprised he was able to make the climb up that hill. Sitting across from her, Robin watched as Starfire opened the bag she carried and set down various items of food onto the table; he now realized where she had acquired all this food, which he recognized as Tamaranian.

"Gorka berries, lempnas, krashnik root..." she said, pointing out several of the foods she had set on the table, "Where have I placed the glorg?" she asked herself, leaning down to check through the bag which she had placed on the ground. Robin examined the items on the table, most of which looked fairly appetizing to him when he thought about his hunger pains; seeing several red fruits which looked like tomatoes, Robin picked one up. Starfire was still searching through the bag, so he decided not to ask her about it, as the food looked harmless enough; Robin took a bite.

- - - - - -

"I am SO SORRY!" Starfire apologized for the umpteenth time as she watched Robin drinking frantically from the water fountain.

Having doused his mouth with water for several minutes, attempting to put out the fire that felt as though it had started on his tongue, Robin shut off the water fountain when he felt the burning finally subside. Looking dazed, Robin stood up fully and turned around to face Starfire; tear droplets had begun to form at the edges of his mask.

"I should have warned you... some people find that fruit to be quite... spicy." Starfire apologized once again, feeling guilty for not explaining each of the foods to him.

Robin sniffed and cleared his throat, wiping the tears away from his mask. Leaning his weight against the fountain and breathing fast to cool off his mouth, Robin hiccuped once; suddenly, a large smile spread across his face and he burst out laughing. Starfire was confused for a moment, but as she watched Robin in a rare instant of unhindered emotion, she couldn't help but join in.

- - - - - -

Back at the table, finishing off the rest of the food, Robin made sure to ask Starfire carefully about each individual thing he ate. He now understood one of the reasons she had so many questions about earth... she was not only curious, but cautious as well; something he now had a much greater respect for. Starfire was happy to see Robin enjoying the food, most of which she had prepared or grown herself, but she was also glad to return his many favors by sharing a part of her own culture with him; all this made her feel that much closer to him. Robin relaxed, his stomach finally stopping its relentless growls after he had eaten his fill of the _safe _food. Looking around, Robin saw that the park was still empty; seeing this, he decided now would be a good time to tell Starfire his story.

"Hey Star... Um, I should tell you about myself... you know, to return the favor." he said, wondering why he found it so hard to speak.

"Really?" Starfire asked, standing up. She hadn't expected him to say anything about it so quickly.

Robin smiled lightly at her reaction. Standing up, he walked around the table to her side, "Of course, but... not here. I know a better place." he said, absentmindedly taking her hand as he led her down the hill.

"Okay." Starfire agreed, never taking her eyes off of their interlocked hands; he had recently been showing her much more affection... and, whether or not it meant anything on his part, which she hoped it did, she was reveling in every moment of it. Forcing her eyes away from their hands, Starfire turned away for a moment to take a look at where they were going. The scenery made drastic changes from the regular paved pathways and lampposts, to dirt trails and thick trees as they continued onward. With every step they took, the city, though it surrounded them on all sides, seemed farther and farther away; this place was much like that forgotten trail they had come upon several days ago. Invaded by short grass and flowers, the stony pathway which stretched on under an archway of trees seemed worn and overgrown. Like something the city had simply lost track of over the years, it seemed as though no one had come to this place in a very long time. It was remarkably beautiful, and Starfire had little knowledge that such a place existed within the city limits.

Further ahead, light could be seen breaking through the fairly dim tunnel of trees as a path cut off to the left. Robin saw this and immediately recognized it, "It's right over here." he said, walking with Starfire to the opening. Stepping through, Starfire shielded her eyes from the intense light as they were now facing directly east. She could see that the path came to a stop just ahead; as they walked closer, Starfire realized that it was a slight drop-off on an outcropping which overlooked a large pond. The sun, now risen above the shorter buildings, reflected a vivid light across the surface of the still water, creating the likeness of a shimmering body of pure gold; an illusion that would perpetuate if not for the ducks which took flight from its surface.

Starfire let go of Robin's hand and walked up closer to the edge to look down, surprised at how high they had traveled, "Robin, it is... wondrous." she said, awe struck by what she saw. Starfire sat down on the edge, continuing to admire the scene, hoping that Robin would take the hint and sit beside her.

Admittedly, Robin had at first decided to come to this place because it was out of the way, and hardly anyone ever passed by. He had originally chosen it because he didn't want other people happening upon what he would say, but as he looked out over the drop-off, he saw that it was quite picturesque and aesthetic; one might even say... romantic. At the thought, Robin began to breathe quicker, knowing that if he let his mouth run off, he might say something he would regret. Calming down, Robin walked forward and sat down beside Starfire who smiled jubilantly as he did so. "Yeah, it's one of my favorite places in the city." Robin said, turning away to look out across the edge once more.

Starfire giggled lightly, "I can see why." she said, admiring that quality Robin had, that he was able to take notice of the beautiful things in life.

"Star..." Robin trailed off. Looking at the scenery, thinking that this wasn't quite the ideal setting for the grim details of his past; however, if this situation was any indication, his story would have a happy ending.

"Robin, you do not need to speak of your past to me, if you do not want to." Starfire consoled him, sensing the trouble in Robin's words.

"But, I do want to." Robin replied, truthfully there was no one else he would rather talk to about it, "It's just that... it's hard..." he said, losing his smile, thinking about the events that led him to Jump City.

"I know what you mean. At first, I was afraid of speaking about my memories, but I found that your words were all I needed." she said, smiling though she wondered if she had said too much; her intention was to be subtle.

Robin felt immensely relieved by her consolation, "Thanks." he said with a smile. Robin put his hands against the ground at his sides and rested his weight on them, "Well, I guess I should start at the beginning." he said, thinking back, though some memories were more vivid... and frightening than others, "In Gotham City, My mother, father, and I were an acrobatic troupe called the Flying Graysons... do you know what an acrobat is?" he asked, hoping he wasn't confusing her with his wording.

Starfire squinted, attempting to think of the meaning behind the word, "Oh, yes, it is a human who attempts flying." she answered as best she could.

Robin chuckled, "Yeah, that's it." he said, enthralled by her never-ending cuteness, "Anyway, we were part of a circus that traveled all around... I remember doing so many performances with them. They trained me as an acrobat since I was very young." he explained, seeming very proud as he talked about them.

"I see. It must be wonderful to have such a relationship with your parents..." Starfire said, sounding slightly saddened. Robin realized that Starfire's parents, being king and queen, must have been very distant, always busy with affairs of state.

"It was..." Robin looked down over the edge of the drop-off. Starfire greatly regretted saying what she did when she realized the past tense Robin had just used.

"What... happened?" she asked, weary of Robin's emotions. Robin looked to Starfire, attempting to keep a straight face, but she could see through that, knowing now that it was something terrible.

"One night, a man came to the circus before the show... a crime boss, his name was Anthony Zucco." he said. Robin seemed to clench his teeth at the mere mention of the man's name, "I overheard Zucco threatening the performers if the circus owner didn't pay him extortion money... When the owner refused, Zucco told him not to take his threats lightly... and he left." Robin looked back over the edge, staring off at nothing as he narrowed his eyes. "My mother and father were performing without me that night... I tried to get there in time... tried to warn them but... I was too late." Robin clenched his fist against the ground, "The moment I reached the tent, I saw the cables on the trapeze snap... my parents fell..." Robin closed his eyes almost resentfully and looked to his side.

Starfire felt her heart sink; she had no idea Robin was witness to such a terrible thing... it made her feel guilty for asking about it, "Robin..." she let her words trail off, feeling her eyes beginning to sting with sympathetic tears. Losing one's parents... she couldn't imagine the pain he must have felt.

Robin saw Starfire's eyes starting to well up; she was so sweet... but he didn't want her to cry because of him, so he figured he should lighten the mood... somehow. "Well, I was too young stay with the circus, so they put me in a kind of orphanage. It wasn't the best place around; the food was terrible." he joked, changing his tone of voice, hoping that it would cheer her up. Robin was put at ease when Starfire giggled at his comment.

Though she felt the sadness disappearing, Starfire knew that she could not keep the remaining tears from spilling over. Turning away, she wiped her eyes clean and looked back to Robin with a smile, "Please, continue." she said.

"One day, a man came to take custody of me. I guess he knew my parents, but I never knew about him. I shouldn't say his name, he... likes his privacy." he said, looking to Starfire for confirmation, knowing that he shouldn't reveal Bruce's identity here. Starfire nodded, not expecting Robin to talk about anyone else but himself. "He was... distant, and I never really got to know him back then... and I really didn't want to. There was only one thing on my mind. I knew Zucco had something to do with what happened to my parents so, one night, I snuck out and decided to find out on my own... I tried to track down Zucco." he continued, "But, I ran into someone else that night... Batman." Robin looked to Starfire again, wondering if she knew who this was; everyone else seemed to.

"This man... is also a bat?" Starfire asked, looking confused.

Robin laughed slightly, "No, he's like us. A crime fighter." he explained, still amused by her interpretation. "He stopped me before I could do anything stupid. But, I guess I reminded him of how he was when _he_ was a kid. Turned out, Batman, was the same man who got me out of the orphanage." Robin stopped for a moment, thinking back to his days in training, "He gave me a chance, told me that one day I would be able to bring Zucco to justice. I took an oath, to always uphold the ways of truth and justice, and never sway from the path of righteousness..." Robin grimaced at his words, it sounded very strange; but that was nearly the exact thing he said when he took the oath. Robin shook the thoughts from his mind, seeing that Starfire didn't seem to mind how he sounded, "After months of training, and one final test, I was able to join Batman as a crime fighter." Robin paused, trying to think of how he could word the next part.

Starfire simply waited for him to continue. She had learned so much more about Robin; and as she expected, it only deepened her feelings toward him.

"After a while, I finally caught up with Zucco. He was the one who cut the wires on the trapeze... it was because of him that my parents died." Robin looked away for a moment, "I... was so angry with him... I had the chance to do something I would regret, but I let him go... let the police take care of him." he sighed under his breath.

"That is because you are a good person." Starfire tried to reassure him, sensing the distress in his voice.

"I wish I could believe that, Starfire..." Robin let his mind dwell on his thoughts for a moment. He was suddenly overwhelmed by fear and anxiety; he would have to tell her why he left Gotham City, but the events that led him to that point have haunted him even to this day... How would Starfire feel about him after he tells her what he had done? What would she think if she found out that someone lost their life... because of him...?

"Robin?" Starfire was becoming worried. Perhaps his past was far too painful to speak of; if so, she didn't want to make him feel obligated to continue.

"There were a lot of dangerous criminals in Gotham City... But Harvey Dent, Two-Face, was one of the worst." Robin breathed deeply, attempting to calm himself, "He managed to capture Batman and an important Gotham City official. I found out where he was keeping them, and immediately went to find the place... When I got there, Two-Face had them both in a trap; it was set up so that if one was saved, the other would die. They were both hanging by ropes; without thinking, I cut both ropes at once. Batman managed to save himself from what happened next, but..." Robin looked Starfire in the eyes, knowing that after he tells her what he did, those eyes would never look at him the same way again... but he owed it to her, to tell her the truth. "Two-Face had an obsession with the number two... so the trap had two parts to it. As soon as the ropes were cut, the floor opened up beneath them... and the other man fell to his death." Robin shut his eyes, not wanting to see her reaction, "It was my fault... someone died because of me."

"Robin." he felt Starfire's hand touch his shoulder. Opening his eyes, Robin saw that Starfire still had the same look in hers, only she seemed a little more concerned now, "You should not be so hard on yourself... what happened was not your fault at all." she said comfortingly. Robin looked on in astonishment; he didn't know that anyone could be so understanding... but if anyone could be, it was her.

"Thanks, Star." Robin finally relaxed; now that he had gotten the difficult part of his story out of the way, the rest would be simple thanks to Starfire, "Two-Face beat me up... badly. Batman freed himself and took care of Two-Face on his own." Robin straightened his expression, "While I recovered from my injuries, Batman forbid me from fighting anymore. But I wouldn't listen... I wanted to prove myself, so I left Gotham and came here. Then, I met you... and the others."

"Robin, we are the same." Starfire said, taking her hand off of his shoulder to look him in the eyes, "We have both been alone for much of our lives... but we have found true friends; we are no longer alone..." she said with a beautiful smile. Much to Robin's surprise, Starfire began to move closer to him, until their shoulders touched. He didn't know if it was by accident or not, but her hand found its way to his.

_'Starfire?'_ Robin decided not to question what was happening as Starfire rested her weight against his shoulder and looked toward the still rising sun in the distance. Together, they watched as the star rose farther above horizon, raining its warm radiance down upon them. The hours passed by, but felt like fleeting seconds. Neither knew of the other's heart which had begun to beat faster, but both knew that together was the only place they ever wanted to be.

* * *

**Author's Note:** LoL, I can safely say I know a lot more about swords and sword fighting techniques because of the beginning of this chapter (did a lot of studying; wanted to be as accurate as possible. But a lot of what I learned will be used in the later chapters). Sorry for the delay... But winter break just started so, that's gonna give me A LOT of free time to work on the fic.

I'll explain next time why Starfire was so afraid of the monster at the movie theatre.

By the way, fanfiction dot net gave us FORUMS :). The official forum (I love saying that) for this fic is available on my profile page under the link _My Forums_.

Thanks for reviewing!

**Next Chapter Preview:** With the tower's kitchen completely empty of all edible food, the team decides it's time to refill the fridge, taking a much needed trip to the grocery store. However, on their return to the tower, the Titans discover they are being followed. And when Raven's mistake causes a shadow to fall, what secrets will be revealed through the eyes of this silent enemy? Day 6, Part Two: Shattered.


	12. Day 6, Part 2: Shattered

**10 Leisurely Days**

by Blue Ten

**Summary:**

Robin finds out that Starfire will be leaving for Tamaran in 10 days. Keeping his discovery a secret, he has a little over a week to give her a reason to stay. But when things keep getting in the way, will he even get the chance? RobxStar, BBxRae

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Teen Titans.

* * *

Day 6, Part Two: Shattered

In an undeniable state of peace, Robin inhaled and exhaled deeply as he stared off at the now bright blue sky. The small and well-hidden section of park that Robin and Starfire occupied remained understandably vacant; however, since that morning, many people had arrived in the park and could now be seen playing games and running about the grassy fields below. Though it appeared that Robin was looking away, the fullness of his attention remained on Starfire. Sitting beside her now, he felt as though he could drift off into a quiescent slumber. He noticed that she seemed quite comfortable as well, leaning against his shoulder with that adorable smile on her face; her hand had never left its position atop his. All this led Robin to wonder... was it really so conceited to think perhaps there was a small chance that she felt the same way he did? Was it so strange to think such a thing as they sat together all morning and simply watched the sun rise? As much as he wanted those questions to be viable, Robin didn't want to press his luck by saying something stupid; after all, he had nearly five days left in which to say something stupid.

Sitting beside Robin, Starfire was in such a state of joy that she was surprised she had not already floated away into the sky. Leaning against his shoulder, she wanted merely to rest her head upon it as well, but figured it was far too soon to be so blatant. Throughout the entire morning, though the rising sun and the beauteous scenery had somewhat distracted her eyes, Starfire had rarely taken her thoughts or attention from their hands which rested between them. It meant so much to her that Robin did not seem to mind her decision to place her hand above his. Feeling rather guilty for doing so, Starfire had occasionally taken the time to caress his hand ever so slightly, attempting to pass it off as simple movement. Lost in thought, Starfire closed her eyes and breathed in deeply; upon exhaling, she absentmindedly rested her head against his shoulder, keeping her eyes closed, feeling dreamy and euphoric.

Robin froze up as he felt some extra weight against the top of his shoulder and the slight tickling feeling of Starfire's long hair drifting across until it settled in place. Looking to his side, he saw that Starfire had rested her head down; with her eyes closed, she smiled as though her mind was elsewhere thinking of something pleasant...

"Starfire?" Robin queried, wondering if she had fallen asleep.

Starfire quickly opened her eyes, realizing where she was and what she had done, "Yes." she answered promptly, pulling her head away and sitting up straight, attempting not to look blushful.

"I--" Robin was interrupted as a flock of pigeons flew up directly in front of them, flapping their wings loudly as they passed by. Letting go of each other's hands, Robin and Starfire looked over the edge to see what had happened. On the ground below, a dog had apparently gotten away from its owner. Seemingly at the ready for an attack, the small dog continued to bark at the birds as they flew away. Noticing this, the dog's owner ran up and took it by the leash, scolding it as they walked away. Seeing the dog which looked like an 'angry beast', Robin was reminded of something, "Hey Star, I've been meaning to ask you about something." he said, leaning back once more.

"Hm? What is it?" Starfire wondered, regaining a smile, happy that there had been a distraction at that moment.

"Remember the monster at the theatre?" he asked, _'Of course she does...' _he thought, feeling stupid. Starfire nodded in response. "You said it reminded you of something... Um, what did it remind you of?" he asked, hoping that it didn't sound like he was prying.

"Oh." Starfire had almost completely forgotten about it; there were so many new and happy things on her mind. And truthfully, she didn't find the thought quite as frightening anymore, but decided to explain it anyway. "When the Citadel had me captive, I was among many other slaves which they forced to do their labors. In order to keep us _subdued_, they had several... what is the word?" she inquired, confused about how she could describe the creatures.

"What do you mean?" he asked, surprised that Starfire had kept her smile while she spoke of something that, before, seemed to haunt her to no end.

"It is a creature used to keep watch, and protect borders." Starfire explained as best she could.

"Oh, a guard dog?" Robin answered with the closest thing he could come up with.

Starfire seemed satisfied with that explanation, "Yes, that is it. Only these creatures were much... _bigger_ than your earth dogs." she replied. "I had spent so long in that place... It was very selfish, but I wanted to see my family again. I tried to escape, but these creatures were set in place so that no one could get past them. I moved too close... and became wounded." she said, seeming slightly distressed, though nowhere near as afraid as she was that night at the theatre. "The Citadel wanted me alive, so they healed me, but as punishment I was given much more work than before." she finished, looking distracted for a moment; however, as she thought about Robin and the consolation he had provided her, a smile returned to her face.

"Oh." Robin looked down and scratched the back of his head nervously, feeling sorry that he had brought it up, "Sorry Star, I shouldn't have asked you about that... I didn't know it--"

"Do not worry. I have conquered this fear... you helped me." Starfire cut in, wearing a shy smile as she spoke of his assistance. "You may ask me anything you wish." she reassured him.

"Really?" uplifted, Robin turned his eyes away from the ground and looked directly at Starfire, "Well, then I--" he stopped, suddenly interrupted by the familiar sound of his communicator. Removing it from his belt, Robin switched it on to see Cyborg on the screen, "Yeah?" he asked, slightly annoyed. Starfire looked on, feeling fairly disappointed, but realizing that she couldn't keep Robin away from the others for the entire day.

"We've got an emergency down here, you guys might wanna head back to the tower." with that, Cyborg abruptly shut off communication.

Looking fairly confused, Robin put away his communicator. He didn't want to go, but if it was some kind of emergency, he couldn't ignore it. Standing up along with Starfire, Robin patted some dust off of himself and turned to her, "Well, I guess we better get going." he said with a disappointed expression. Turning around, Robin began to walk back down the pathway, thinking that Starfire was following him.

Barely making it more than two steps, Robin stopped as he heard Starfire's voice, "Wait. I know of a faster way." she said, giggling as she held a hand out to him.

- - - - - -

Standing in the kitchen with the others back at the tower, Robin and Starfire shared the same disbelieving expression as they stared at Cyborg in front of the refrigerator. "An empty fridge? This is your big emergency?" Robin asked with a glare after Cyborg had explained the situation to him.

"But it _is_ an emergency... look at me, I'm wasting away." Beast Boy joined in, pointing at his stomach which let out a pronounced growl.

"That doesn't explain why you needed us." Robin was so disappointed that he didn't notice how obvious he was being, "Why can't you just go buy some food on your own?" he asked, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Well, actually, we were starting to get worried about you two. You were gone for the whole morning. What were you doing anyway?" Cyborg asked, already knowing the answer.

Robin and Starfire looked to each other, then back to the others with reddening faces, "Nothing." they said in unison.

"Still, why did you need us?" Robin asked once again.

Surprisingly, Raven stepped forward to explain, "We all need to go, so we don't get stuck with just one food group." she said, looking at Cyborg and Beast Boy accusingly, thinking about their opposing foods of choice. "This way, no one gets left out. Remember what happened last time?" she asked without changing her expression or tone of voice. After hearing Raven's question, Beast Boy just grinned sheepishly and shrugged his shoulders.

Robin gave up; Raven did make a good point... everyone in the tower had such different preferences when it came to what they ate. And truthfully, he wouldn't want to get stuck with just one of those preferences; though he would rather spend the rest of the day with Starfire. "Alright." he said, realizing he couldn't back out now in front of the others... however much he wanted to.

- - - - - -

The sun, more than halfway through the sky, cast an increasingly dim orange light through the window. While he waited for the others to get everything ready, such as a shopping list which there was probably much deliberation over, Robin paced around in his room, thinking about recent events. Though the situation with Grey did have him worried, the man was far from his thoughts at this moment, and Robin was sure his plan would help. Something else was weighing on his mind. With all that he had learned about Starfire, with everything she told him, she had become so much more important to him. Coming to a stop, Robin realized that he shouldn't take a moment of the remaining time for granted. Every day... every second was one he could never get back, and he had precious few of them left. He knew the days would pass by as quick as they arrived, and he didn't want to regret not saying or doing anything because of his foolish anxieties. With a sigh, Robin looked across the room to a waist-high chest of drawers which stood against the wall opposite the door; walking up to it, he slid open the top drawer. The blue velvet box remained precisely where he had left it, sitting in the otherwise empty drawer. Taking the box in hand, Robin opened the top and examined the necklace; connected to the silver chain, the deep blue sapphire reflected the setting sun's light across its tear-shaped surface. A symbol... if his fears wouldn't allow him to vocalize his feelings for Starfire, Robin wondered if perhaps he could _show_ her how he felt. Hearing his door sliding open, Robin hurriedly shut the box and placed it back into the drawer.

"Robin, you are coming?" Starfire asked brightly, holding on to the door.

Robin turned around to face Starfire, closing the drawer behind his back, "Yeah, I'll be right out." he replied, attempting to sound calm. As he walked over to the door where Starfire waited, Robin wondered when and where he should give her the necklace, though he knew it should be soon or he would regret it. Starfire was smiling jubilantly as usual, but Robin had detected something else in her mannerisms recently, something he couldn't quite decipher... but whatever it was, he certainly didn't mind it at all. She seemed so happy. Robin wondered if he even had anything to worry about anymore; perhaps she had already made her choice. Meeting her at the door, Robin began walking with Starfire into the living room.

"It has been some time since I have been to the store of groceries; I wonder what strange things I will see this time?" Starfire mused, thinking about all the peculiar, but often wonderful things humans consumed; frozen pre-cooked meals, all manner of food stored away in air tight canisters, edible liquids that are meant as toppings but not drinks, and a candy that one must chew, yet never swallow. Starfire covered her mouth and giggled as she thought about these things.

Walking out of the hallway with Starfire, Robin simply smiled as he listened to her talk about the strange ways of humans. Sometimes he forgot how alien earth must still seem to her. But as long as she had questions, he knew he would always be there to answer them. There were so many things about her that he admired, and her unquenchable thirst for knowledge was among them; these many things, he knew, were the reasons he loved her. He understood that his love went much deeper than thinking she was the most beautiful girl he had ever known... it was so much more than that. Simply knowing that she would be there, rising with the sun every morning, gave him the strength and drive he needed to greet the day as well. In an endless amount of ways... she completed him.

As he made his way across the living room, Robin saw that the others were already waiting by the doors. Cyborg had his keys in hand, looking rather eager, probably planning to fill the T-Car to the windows with food. Though it could have been simple over exaggeration, Beast Boy looked like he could collapse from hunger at any moment; placing a single hand over his stomach, he slouched slightly and wore a severely weakened expression. Raven, the only one of the three who could be trusted with it, held the shopping list in her hands; she wore her hood up as she usually did before leaving the tower.

Upon seeing Robin and Starfire, Cyborg waved them over with a big boisterous grin, "Come on, let's hurry. I'm starving." he said.

"_**You're** _starving?" Beast Boy cut in, briefly looking energized before reverting back to his weakened state; perhaps he wasn't feigning hunger after all.

Robin and Starfire joined the others; as a group, they entered the elevator. Cyborg pressed the button for the garage which was located below the ground level. Never really getting used to the sudden shift in momentum that the elevator caused whenever it began moving, all of the Titans lost their footing as it started to descend; that is, all except for Starfire. Noticing that she hadn't tripped along with everyone else, Robin looked to his side down at Starfire's feet; oddly enough, she was floating several inches above the floor. He knew that her powers were guided by emotion, and flight depended on joy. From what he knew, he deduced that either she was flying simply because she wanted to, or she was much happier than usual right now.

With a distinct _ping_ sound, and another momentum shift, the elevator reached the bottom floor and opened its doors to reveal the garage. Shiny and spotless as usual, the T-Car was parked in the center of the large room; stationed just a little farther down was Robin's motorcycle. Aside from the large doors which would open up into the underwater tunnel, several other corridors extended off to other locations; one, leading farther down to where the T-Sub was located in the docking bay, and another which led to the T-Ship's launch center below the training field outside.

Looking at the car, which Cyborg had already entered without notice, Robin wondered if it would seem too obvious if he sat next to Starfire in the backseats; before he got the chance to decide, Starfire opened the door and immediately took her place in the middle, followed by Beast Boy and Raven who sat at her sides. _'You can't always get your way...'_ thought Robin disappointedly as he opened the passenger door and sat down inside. Closing the door, Robin buckled himself in and took to glancing in the rear view mirror every once in a while... he found that he couldn't take his eyes off of her, more so than usual. He figured this was because there were just over four days left until he would know for sure whether or not she was leaving, and he didn't want to miss a second of those days.

Starting up the car, Cyborg input something into the panel on the dashboard which caused the large doors in front of the car to slide open revealing the lengthy tunnel ahead. As the car eased into motion and started to accelerate, the lights of the tunnel began passing by overhead so fast that they seemed to be continuous streams of white light. Needing some fresh air, Robin rolled down his window and let the cool slipstream meet his face. Leaning his arm against the open window, Robin closed his eyes and listened to the current of rushing wind, which was broken abruptly as each light fixture passed by.

In the back seat, Starfire leaned her head to the left to get a better look at Robin, smiling when she saw him looking all calm and cool as he leaned against the window. Raven's attention was brought to the back of Starfire's head, which had been moving progressively further in her direction. Seeing what Starfire was looking at, Raven smirked slightly, thinking about how Beast Boy's idea was actually working; Starfire and Robin seemed to be paying much more attention to each other since they decided to intervene. She only hoped that this plan would come to fruition soon; she wanted as much as the others to see Robin and Starfire just admit it and stop dancing around their emotions... Raven shuddered, quickly feeling rather hypocritical, though she didn't know why. Suddenly, the sound of a stomach growling loudly turned her attention to the other side of the car.

Watching as Cyborg stopped the car for a moment to open the other end of the tunnel, Beast Boy listened to his own stomach rumble. Feeling like the bags under his eyes had weights attached to them, he attempted to quell his stomach by placing a comforting hand over it. "Don't worry, I'll have you full in no time." he whispered jokingly to his abdomen as he patted it, knowing that as soon as they reached the store, a snack bar and free samples would be waiting for him. Hearing a quieted giggle, he turned to see Starfire staring at Robin, and Raven seeming bored and uninterested in anything as she looked out of her window. Beast Boy shrugged his shoulders and turned his attention to his own window as the car began moving again.

Before the Titans realized it, Cyborg had driven the T-Car off the city streets and onto the highway. Soon enough, the car pulled into a rather large parking lot, which had barely any spaces left. As Cyborg searched for a vacant spot, Robin looked out his window to see a large building only slightly smaller than the mall; large words on the front wall read, _'Buy-A-Lot'_. Seeing this, Robin realized Cyborg had taken them to one of those warehouse style mega-stores.

"There's one!" Cyborg exclaimed, swerving the car quickly into an open spot close to the building. As he parked and shut off the car, Cyborg looked at the others, "You guys--" he stopped as he saw nearly everyone glaring at him. Robin had both his arms hanging out of the window due to the abrupt turn; Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy were all closer to the right side of the car, looking dazed.

Beast Boy unbuckled and opened his door, stumbling out of the car, "Nice driving." he said sarcastically.

As everyone exited the car, Starfire stepped out and looked upon the large building, "This is not the store of groceries." she said.

Looking to the building, Robin massaged his arms where they had collided with the door, "Yeah, it's--" he started, about to explain.

"So much better!" Cyborg and Beast Boy cut in.

"This place has got everything! Big screen TVs, video games, all kinds of stuff!" Cyborg drooled, "And I hear they just got the new..." he trailed off purposefully.

"_Gamestation 3_!" Cyborg, and Beast Boy who had apparently gotten over his hunger problems, spoke in unison once again.

Raven narrowed her eyes under her hood, "I thought we were here for food..." she said plainly.

"Huh? Oh yeah, they've got food too." Cyborg replied, starting off to the store followed by Beast Boy; both looked extremely enthusiastic. Raven rolled her eyes and walked after them, still holding on to the shopping list.

"Robin, I have never been to this place, will you help me to understand it?" Starfire asked as she and Robin began following the others.

"Of course." Robin replied with a smile, glad that the others were finally off doing other things.

- - - - - -

The interior of the store was much like the look of the building on the outside suggested, large and cavernous. The warehouse was separated into dozens of isles, with shelves upwards of twenty feet tall stretching to the high ceiling which was decorated by blinding white lights. Aside from the standard canned and frozen food isles, the store had an isle dedicated to almost everything a human did and didn't need. Nearly an entire library of books was located in the center of the store next to the movies and electronics section, which boasted excessively big screen televisions, and various other technological marvels. After stepping through the garage sized doors at the front and marveling at the sheer vastness of space within, Starfire took Robin away from the others and led him around, asking him all sorts of questions about this odd shopping center, questions he was more than happy to answer.

After drooling over the Gamestation which they couldn't afford unless they wanted to go a while without eating, Cyborg and Beast Boy reluctantly grabbed two shopping carts and made their way to the food sections, followed by Raven.

"We'll need some of this. And this. And this." Cyborg said as he pushed his cart down the frozen food section, tossing random items into the cart. Beast Boy mirrored Cyborg's actions on the other side of the isle, however paying closer attention to the things he threw in. Standing in the middle of the isle looking slightly annoyed, Raven stared at the shopping list in her hands; crumpling it up into a ball, she threw it aside knowing there was no stopping them now.

As Beast Boy came back up the isle, re-scanning the shelves for things he missed, he stopped as Raven stepped in front of the cart, "Just... get something normal too, okay?" she asked, with a hint of frustration in her voice.

"I did." Beast Boy pointed to what he had put in the cart, "Lots of frozen vegetables and other stuff." he said, turning to Raven with a slightly insulted expression, "I'm not all tofu all the time y'know?" he defended himself.

Raven examined the food, suddenly feeling slightly embarrassed, "No... I guess you're not." she conceded, fairly surprised as she stepped out of the way.

"Where're Robin and Starfire? They're missing out." said Cyborg as he pulled his cart up beside Beast Boy's.

"Just get Starfire some mustard, and Robin some hair gel and they'll both be happy." Beast Boy joked with a grin. Cyborg and Beast Boy shared a big laugh as they began pushing their carts out of the isle and into another. Raven followed a short distance behind them.

- - - - - -

Starfire had taken Robin to nearly all the unique sections of the store, in awe of the variety of items available; she had only seen this amount of diversity at the mall, but even there, it was never all in the same place like this. After admiring the wonders of the electronics section, Starfire's attention was brought to the sound of music being played further toward the center of the store. Interested, Starfire informed Robin of the music and both ventured forth to see where it was coming from. Just beyond the book section was a large open area where many expensive instruments were on display; the sound of a piano playing autonomously was what they had heard. Starfire had seen many of the musical instruments before, so she had very few questions as they walked through the carpeted gallery and listened to the lighthearted tunes being played. However, once they reached the source of the music, Starfire seemed captivated by it. Getting up close, Starfire looked over the shiny black piano with aesthetic curiosity, watching intently as the keys moved on their own, playing _'Moonlight Sonata'_. She found herself entranced by the music which seemed to speak of a beautiful and otherworldly place. All this time, Robin simply watched Starfire, thinking about how cute she was.

As the music came to a soft stop, Starfire took her eyes away from the piano and looked around more. Something which seemed familiar caught her eyes; on a shelf near the edge of the gallery was a plaid colored bag with several tubes sticking out of it. Followed by Robin, Starfire rushed over to examine the instrument, "It is a gorka pipe!" gasped Starfire as she picked up the bag and happily squeezed it in her arms. As soon as she squeezed it, the instrument let out a violent screeching which caused Starfire's heart to jump. Dropping the bag back on the shelf, Starfire backed away with wide eyes.

"Uh, Star. That's a bagpipe. But, I guess it's pretty much the same thing." Robin explained, holding back chuckles as he saw Starfire attempting to calm herself after being startled like that. When he saw that it must have really spooked her, he became more concerned, "You okay?" asked Robin as he went to her side.

Starfire steadied her breathing, but moved closer to Robin just to play it up a little, "I should be more cautious around such things." she said, regretful that she hadn't asked about the object before picking it up. "This instrument is meant to scare people?" she asked, confused about what use it could have.

"It's a kind of instrument that sounds really bad, if you don't know how to play it." he said, going off to explain a little more about what he knew. Starfire just listened, always amazed that Robin seemed so informed about so many different things.

For several hours as they waited for the others to finish shopping, Robin and Starfire simply walked around the store; often Robin was just as curious about some of the strange products as Starfire. After looking over nearly all the books on display, Robin and Starfire turned a corner to find the others approaching, carts filled to the edges with food.

"Where've you guys been? You didn't get to pick out anything. Sure you won't be disappointed?" Cyborg asked as they rolled the carts past Robin and Starfire who began following.

"How could they be? You have the entire store in your carts." Raven commented, walking behind the others.

"Human cuisine is quite delicious. I am sure whatever you have chosen will be good enough for me." said Starfire as she caught up and examined the carts.

"As long as it's food, I'm fine." said Robin, double checking the carts just to be sure.

- - - - - -

Kathryn slid her credit card through the scanner and waited as the employee placed her items in the cart. Happening to glance to her left, she saw five familiar faces approaching the line which was empty except for her; Starfire was near to the front, followed by Robin and the others. Panicking, Kathryn hid her face and turned to the bag boy, "Can you please hurry?" she asked, gritting her teeth.

"Hey, do you want it in the cart? Or do you want it in the cart right?" asked the employee, slowly placing another bag into the cart.

Kathryn's eyes frantically looked from the approaching Titans to the slow moving bag boy, "I WANT IT IN THE CART!" she yelled, pushing him aside and haphazardly throwing the rest of her groceries into the cart. Just as the Titans began placing their things on the conveyer belt, Kathryn raced to the exit with her food in tow.

The bag boy looked at the cashier as he regained his balance, "Can she--" he started.

"Hey, she paid for it." replied the middle aged cashier, shrugging his shoulders. Turning away from the bag boy, the cashier found himself looking Cyborg in the face, "Whoa!" he said, looking at the other Titans in the line just to make sure he wasn't imagining things. "The Titans? Are you sure you want to pay for this stuff? I mean, I can talk to my manager--" he started as he ran the items over the scanner, wondering how he could make five kids who had saved the city countless times, pay for just two carts worth of food... it hardly seemed fair.

"Don't worry about it man." Cyborg reassured him, taking out a card from a slot in his arm.

- - - - - -

The Titans had spent quite a long time inside the store; outside, the sun was casting its final rays through the sky. The horizon, which was partly interrupted by the large building, was a bright golden yellow in the west which faded to deep navy blue toward the east. The clouds which dotted the sky were dark and pronounced around the golden sun, given intense shadows by their positions. The late hour was also made evident by the nearly empty parking lot; the lamp posts had already been turned on, illuminating the many vacant parking spots. A cool wind rushed across the barren asphalt landscape, causing a chill to run up each of the Titans backs.

Everyone but Cyborg, who had positioned himself in the driver's seat, stood perplexed outside of the T-Car. All eyes were on the interior of the car, which had been completely filled with the bags; absolutely no room was left over. Robin scratched the back of his head, wondering what they could do, feeling like he could have spent this entire time doing something better, _'Wow, you really seized that moment, didn't you?'_ thought Robin sarcastically, _'Shut up.'_ he replied. Starfire stood beside Robin, feeling precisely the same way he did. Staring at the car from under her hood, Raven crossed her arms, wondering why she hadn't seen this coming.

Beast Boy walked up to Cyborg's window, "You ever think of making this thing bigger?" he asked, tapping on the roof of the car.

"What, you mean like a _T-Van_?" Cyborg snickered, "That ain't gonna happen." he said quite seriously.

"But, what are we supposed to do?" Beast Boy asked, spreading his arms out, bringing attention to the fact that they were standing outside of the car.

"Well, it's either you guys or the food. And the _food_ can't walk home." he said. Seeing Beast Boy's face shift to anger mode, Cyborg spoke up again, "It's an expression, you can fly, remember?" he asked in a _'no duh'_ manner.

"Oh yeah." Beast Boy chuckled, backing away from the window.

"Raven can too. And Robin, I'm sure Star wouldn't mind carrying you back." he said, speaking the last part rather blatantly.

"Oh, uh, yeah that'll work." said Robin, avoiding Cyborg's smirking face.

"Yes, most agreeable." Starfire added, smiling with her hands behind her back.

Cyborg started up the car, "You'll probably get to the tower before me." he said. Rolling up his window, Cyborg backed the car out of the parking space and began driving away until he couldn't be seen anymore.

Robin watched as the T-Car disappeared on to the highway, "Well, I guess we--" he stopped as he felt someone's arms grasp him around the waist. With a giggle, Starfire lifted Robin into the air and began to fly away with him.

"HAHA!" Beast Boy laughed. Morphing into a hawk, he took to the air and started flying after them.

Raven sighed, "It's going to be a long flight." she said to herself.

Unable to resist, Beast Boy morphed back into a human and landed beside Raven, "Yeah, and no in-flight movie or anything." he said, grinning widely, waiting for a reaction. Raven simply looked at him; without saying anything, she lifted herself into the air and started levitating in the direction of the tower. Hearing the crickets chirping in his mind, Beast Boy watched her fly away, "Tough crowd." he said despondently, morphing into his bird of choice once again.

- - - - - -

Flying back toward the city, the waning afternoon seemed much brighter now that there was nothing to interrupt the sun's light. Setting the oceanic horizon ablaze with golden fire, the large sun was nearly halfway set behind the sea. The lighter clouds around the sun resembled tongues of fire extending from the star in strange directions, like solar flares. As they reached the city, the cars in the streets below became visible; some had lights on even in the light of the evening.

Robin felt rather strange with Starfire's arms locked around his mid-section while they flew... not uncomfortable, but still strange. Looking to his side, he saw that Beast Boy and Raven were flying just a short way behind them. _'Maybe this wasn't such a bad detour after all.'_ he thought as he looked at Starfire's interlocked fingers which firmly held him up. As they flew closer to the tops of the buildings, Robin heard a strange flapping noise behind them. Turning his head to examine the area, Robin saw his own cape whipping about in the air; figuring it was nothing, he turned his eyes back to the sunset. Robin was reminded of the time he was flying back to the tower with Starfire and heard the same noise... unable to ignore it, Robin closed his eyes and tuned out the sound of his cape, focusing on the distant rooftops. Amidst the wind, Robin heard that peculiar flapping noise once again.

Reaching up, he tapped on Starfire's arm to get her attention, "We're being followed." he whispered.

"I know." said Raven as she caught up to them.

"What should we do?" asked Starfire, slightly unnerved as she continued flying forward.

Robin looked at the ground below, "Let's land for now, and try to catch this guy off guard." he said. Starfire nodded; slowing down, she began to descend to an area between two buildings below. Slowing her flight to let Beast Boy catch up, Raven got his attention and pointed to the ground, motioning for him to land. As all four Titans landed beside the alley, Robin, Starfire, and Raven stepped into it in order to hide.

Landing lastly outside the alley, Beast Boy looked in at the others, slightly confused, "What's the--" he stopped as Raven cupped a hand over his mouth and pulled him in between the buildings.

"Shh. Someone's following us." Raven whispered, taking her hand away.

Stretching his mouth out, Beast Boy looked at the others, "Anybody we know?" he asked.

"I can't be sure." said Robin, though he had a vague idea that it was one of the _children _Grey spoke of, "Raven, can you sense him?" he asked. Starfire stayed close to Robin, feeling very insecure at the thought of some unknown assailant watching them.

"No, he's good at hiding his thoughts... I don't know where he is..." she answered.

Beast Boy suddenly felt a light bulb switch on in his head, "Wait, you can do that _astral projecty_ thing and have a look around. The guy won't notice you." he suggested.

"Beast Boy," said Raven sharply. Beast Boy cringed, thinking that he had said something wrong, "Good idea." Raven admitted, "Stand back, I don't want to accidentally jump into one of you." said Raven closing her eyes to concentrate as the others gave her some room. Raven inhaled deeply; upon exhaling, her eyes opened wide and emanated black energy as a shadow seemed to fly from her body and up to the rooftops.

Seeing through the eyes of her astral projection, Raven flew above the rooftops and examined the area with her mind, "I'm not seeing anything..." she said. Sending her projection further down the alley, Raven heard a strange flapping noise; "Wait, I heard something." she spoke again. Above the buildings, Raven shifted her vision in time to meet a pair of frightening white eyes flying toward her; suddenly, various terrifying images coursed like fire through Raven's mind. With a gasp, Raven's eyes stopped glowing and she began to fall backward. Robin and Starfire looked on in confusion, unsure of what was happening.

"Raven?" Beast Boy queried, watching wearily as she tilted. "Raven!" he called, jumping forward and catching her before she could hit the ground. The force of her fall caused Raven's hood to slip off of her head. Her eyes remained closed, but she seemed to be struggling with something, as evidenced by the pained expression she wore.

"What is wrong?" Starfire asked shakily, horrified to see her friend this way. Looking on, Robin couldn't find an answer for her...

Raven slowly opened her eyes, dealing with what felt like a painful headache. As her vision returned, the world slowly began to fade back into view; Raven found herself looking up at Beast Boy who held her in his arms, appearing fairly worried.

"Are you okay?" he asked, squinting his eyes at her.

Suddenly, Raven tore herself out of his arms and stood up, facing away, "I'm fine." she said stiffly, pulling her hood back on. Once her hood was secured, Raven turned around, "But... thanks." she said, placing her hand against a wall.

"What happened?" asked Robin, wondering what could have caused that reaction in Raven.

"She fell..." Raven pointed farther down the alley, breathing irregularly as she leaned against the wall, "Down there." she finished. Robin and Starfire turned around to look at the darkened alleyway.

"Let's go." Robin said, waving for the others to follow him. Followed closely by Starfire, Robin led the way down the alley. Raven kept one hand on the adjacent wall as she hobbled after them. At the very end of the group, Beast Boy watched Raven with curiosity while he followed. A light fixture above where the two buildings met and came to a dead end, revealed a dark figure lying against the wall on the ground. Stepping forward, Robin saw that it was a young girl, no older than Starfire. The girl wore a dark cloak which covered her entire form; long, pitch black hair fell over the pale skin of her face, concealing her eyes which were undoubtedly closed. Something caught Robin's eye; on the body of her cloak, was a small version of that red insignia he had seen on Grey, _'The Tempest...'_ he thought disdainfully.

The girl slowly opened her eyes; seeing four figures approaching her from the shadows, she panicked and began backing away only to find a wall in her way, "Where am I?" she questioned, sounding very frightened, "W-Who are you?" she asked, remaining on the ground, attempting in vain to back away.

"We might ask you the same question." said Robin, stepping forward out of the darkness, "Who sent you!" he demanded.

"Please, don't hurt me!" the girl pleaded, closing her eyes and pressing herself further against the wall.

Starfire watched, unsure of what she should do as Robin seemed angered by the girl, "Don't play innocent, I--" Robin stopped, as Raven stepped forward.

"Robin... she doesn't know." she said; walking up to the girl, Raven knelt down and removed her hood.

The girl turned her white eyes to Raven as she opened them, 'Please... don't..." she pleaded once again, seeming as though she was about to cry.

"What's your name?" asked Raven as kindly as was possible for her.

Feeling slightly less frightened, the girl stopped trying to back away, however she continued to tremble, "I-Iris." she answered.

"Iris. I'm Raven, and we're the Teen Titans." Raven said, standing up and gesturing her hand at the others.

"Don't worry, we won't hurt you, we're the good guys." said Beast Boy, stepping forward as well; Raven smiled slightly at him in approval. Robin looked on in disbelief... the girl really didn't seem to know why she was here.

Iris stood up and wiped a tear away from her eye, "What happened to me?" she asked, still shaking slightly.

Robin stepped forward with Starfire, causing Iris to back away again, "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to scare you like that..." he said, feeling terrible, "Look, we'll get the police down here, and they'll get you some place safe." he said, taking out his communicator.

"Yes, you need not worry." said Starfire, the most comforting voice in the bunch.

- - - - - -

The Titans stood outside of the alley and watched as the police drove away with Iris, hoping that they could find her family. Before she left, she seemed immensely thankful to them for helping her... Robin didn't understand it... What could make something like that happen?

Once the car was out of view, Beast Boy turned to Raven, "So, what happened to you?" he asked, still noticing a slight weakness in her stance.

Raven sighed deeply, "I didn't mean to... but I jumped into her mind." she said. "I saw... so many terrible things, I can barely remember any of them..." she trailed off as the others looked on worriedly, "But... it felt like there was someone else in her mind, and... he didn't want to be there either... I saw his eyes... he had such sad eyes..." Raven closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Are you unharmed?" Starfire asked, seeing Raven acting very different than usual.

"I'll be fine Starfire... I just need some rest." she replied, still breathing heavily.

"Then let's get back to the tower as soon as possible. Beast Boy, can you carry her?" Robin asked.

"No, I can... fly fine on my own." Raven interjected, though no one could believe her with the way she was speaking.

Beast Boy stepped in front of her, "Don't be so stubborn." he said in a rare moment of seriousness, "Look at you... you can barely stand."

"I said... I'm fine." she lied, trying to stand up straight.

"Stop it. I'm carrying you, and that's final." Beast Boy stated firmly.

Raven stared at him for a moment, "Fine..." she conceded. Raven turned to Robin and Starfire, "You two go ahead, I want to have a word with him." she said, causing Beast Boy to lose his cool and gain a lump in his throat.

"Alright." said Robin mindfully, taking Starfire's hand as she began to ascend.

Raven watched as Robin and Starfire disappeared over the rooftops. As soon as they were out of sight, she turned around to face Beast Boy. Beast Boy suddenly felt sweat forming on his forehead, "I'm sorry, it's just that I couldn't--" he started in a panic, raising his arms up as if to protect himself.

"Thank you..." said Raven, looking to the side.

"Oh... uh, no problem." he said, chuckling nervously. "I guess we should get going then." he said, transforming into a large eagle; flapping his wings, he picked up Raven by the shoulders and began to carry her into the air as he followed after Robin and Starfire.

"Oh, and if I ever hear the words _'that's final' _from you again... they really will be." she said as she held on to Beast Boy's feet for support. Even as a bird, Beast Boy felt sweat forming on his forehead... he couldn't tell whether she was being serious, or just using her morbid sense of humor.

- - - - - -

"Where were you guys?" asked Cyborg as he watched the others get out of the elevator, "I thought you would get here before me." he continued, surprised and concerned as he saw Beast Boy supporting Raven as they walked through the doors.

Beast Boy looked up at Cyborg, "It's a long story... we'll tell you tomorrow." he said as he walked off with Raven to the hallway.

"Alright, I'm pretty tired anyway." Cyborg yawned, "I hope it wasn't anything too serious." he said as he looked at Robin.

Robin shook his head, "No, we just ran into someone." he explained.

"Oh, gotcha." said Cyborg as he turned around and made his way to the hallway as well, wondering who they had fought, but glad to see they had all made it out alright... otherwise he would feel even more guilty for making them walk.

Starfire yawned, "It is quite late, I believe I will go to sleep as well." she said, smiling at Robin as she started off to the hallway, "Goodnight, Robin."

"Starfire wait." he called, causing her to turn around, "I'm sorry... about what I did back there... it's just that--" he started, looking at the ground, about to apologize for yelling at Iris the way he did.

Starfire gave him an understanding smile. "Do not worry, I know that you were merely concerned about our safety." she said, wanting so much to hug him, however several household obstacles were in her way and she didn't want him to see her _desperately_ making her way over them.

Robin looked up from the floor, feeling a little better, though it didn't change what he did. "Oh, thanks." he said, unable to hold back a smile as he looked at hers, "Goodnight Star." he said, walking over to the couch.

Starfire's smile widened at the sound of her nickname, "Goodnight!" she said happily, turning around and floating off into the hallway.

Before he sat down on the couch, Robin looked at the time. He figured he should get as much sleep as he could before he had to wake up and train with Tyrus in a few hours. After that strange encounter with one of Grey's _children_, he knew there was much more to The Tempest than what had already been revealed to him. Now more than ever, he had to make sure that he gained enough knowledge to defeat that masked swordsman.

- - - - - -

The room was nearly pitch black, except for the dim light of the late evening which passed through Raven's curtains. Hovering above her bed, Raven recited her mantra, attempting to clear her thoughts of any lingering images from Iris' mind. She found that the more she tried to avoid them, the more the images seemed to flicker in her mind's eye. Suddenly, Raven felt something trickle down the side of her face. Coming out of her trance, Raven brought a hand up to her face and wiped away a single tear from her cheek. Strangely, her eyes began to tear up even more after she did this; soon enough, the tears were streaming down her face without restraint and Raven found herself feeling the sadness.

"These aren't my tears..."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Phew, this was the first chapter I've released on time in a while :). It feels good! LOL. Anyway, I really wanted to get this up by Christmas; not that it was Christmassy or anything, it's just that I promised to post it by then. And I did, WEEE!

_Also, I'd just like to say HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all my readers and reviewers out there :). See ya next time!_

**Next Chapter Preview:** Robin receives more training from Tyrus, but perhaps it's the teacher who has a few things to learn. Even after yesterday's strange events, the Titans can't help but take advantage of another glorious morning; it's nothing but fun in the sun as the Titans head to the beach. Day 7, Part One: A Sunny Morning.


	13. Day 7, Part 1: A Sunny Morning

**10 Leisurely Days**

by Blue Ten

**Summary:**

Robin finds out that Starfire will be leaving for Tamaran in 10 days. Keeping his discovery a secret, he has a little over a week to give her a reason to stay. But when things keep getting in the way, will he even get the chance? RobxStar, BBxRae

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Teen Titans.

* * *

Day 7, Part One: A Sunny Morning

The early morning moon, though appearing to be a small insignificant object at the crest of its arc, gleamed bright silver from its position in the jet black sky. Illuminated by the lunar beams, a thin, misty layer of clouds blanketed the sky around the moon. On this end of the city, light pollution was minimal, as was traffic, allowing for a clear view of the stars and an easier time traveling from place to place. Creating a rather eerie atmosphere, the winds whistled across the empty streets and through the vacant alleyways. The occasional barking of a dog, or honking of a car horn in the distance added to the ambient noises. The section of city was hardly rural; there were many businesses and shops lining the streets, and very few houses or apartments. Even so, with sporadic lampposts, most of which only flickered light, the area was dark and empty; just the kind of area Robin was used to traveling through in his early days.

After a fairly close call back at the tower, Robin had stealthily made his way out, traveling far across town to his destination. As he scanned the area, very few of the buildings looked familiar to him; but he knew the one he was searching for stuck out like a sore thumb, so he shouldn't have a problem locating it. Walking on the sidewalk instead of the rooftops, the only sound Robin heard as he approached a street corner was the whispering wind and the tap of his own footsteps. Though the wind carried a significant chill with its gusts, Robin was surprised at how warm it was at half past midnight; if this recent weather kept up, the day would be a scorcher. As much as other things remained close to his thoughts, Robin stayed serious as he continued on his way, knowing that now was a time to remain focused and prepared. As he reached the edge of the street and stood at the crosswalk, Robin's concentration was suddenly broken by an eruption of loud barking. Turning his head to the side, Robin looked down to see a dog growling angrily at him; narrowing his eyes at it, he turned away and crossed the street. Stopping its tirade, the dog simply tilted its head to the side and watched with curiosity as Robin left.

Looking to his left down the street, Robin saw a single building in the row which had its lights on; apparently, Tyrus didn't sleep much. Walking up to the door, Robin pushed it open despite the sign that said _'closed' _pressed against the window. The room was empty, but Robin could hear footsteps coming down a set of stairs toward the back.

The old man named Tyrus stepped down from the stairwell and entered the training room, eyeing Robin with a look of curiosity, "You're early." he said in his gruff and gravelly voice as he furrowed his brow, creating emphasis on his slightly wrinkled forehead. Tyrus tiredly scratched the back of his short, graying hair. Despite his age, Tyrus seemed like a young man, alive and strong... if a little absentminded at times, considering how he had forgotten to close his dojo before. Robin saw that Tyrus was now wearing something which made him actually look like the owner of such a place... some sort of traditional uniform.

"I know. I thought I'd try to get more training in today." said Robin, stretching out his arms.

"Why is it that you can't take this training during the day?" Tyrus asked, raising an eyebrow at Robin.

Robin looked away... there were no simple answers for that question, "I have my reasons." he said plainly. Seeing the bokken he had used before propped up against the wall, Robin walked over and began reaching for it.

Tyrus placed his palm out, facing it toward Robin, "Not so fast. Strength training first, then the sword." he said sternly, crossing his arms in front of himself, "You want to get good at this don't you?"

Backing away from the wall with an impatient twitch to his eyebrow, Robin turned to Tyrus and nodded reluctantly. Robin put himself through his normal routine; push-ups, crunches, and various other exercises. As soon as he finished with this, Robin's muscles would feel even more torment as Tyrus instructed him on several exercises for the wrists and arms that he would need to perform using the surprisingly heavy bokken.

Breathing heavily, Robin looked over to Tyrus from his slightly slouching position as he used the bokken as a sort of crutch, "Alright... can I start now?" he asked, massaging his arm.

With a smirk, Tyrus nodded. Walking over to the wall, he picked up another wooden sword and returned to his position across the room from Robin. "I'm going to start by explaining _kata_ to you. Kata, are the soul of Iaido. They can be separated into four consecutive parts; nukiuchi, kirioroshi, chiburi, and noto; that's drawing the sword while cutting, making the finishing cut, shaking the blood from the blade, and then returning it to the scabbard. There are several cuts you can perform between the first two steps, but we'll get to that later. For now, I'm going to teach you the Omori Ryu, which is the beginner's set, consisting of twelve kata. You'll want to pay close attention for this." said Tyrus, pausing to see if Robin was listening. "To start..." Tyrus went off to explain each of the kata in detail, performing them to give Robin examples. Robin merely watched and listened intently, paying especially close attention to Tyrus' movements as he performed the kata. "Now, your turn. The first kata in the set..."

- - - - - -

Tyrus' jaw nearly hit the floor as he watched Robin mimic his performance. Each kata was a near perfect reproduction of what he had shown Robin less than half an hour ago. He hadn't expected such a fast duplication; he hadn't expected much at all... even from a super hero. But here he stood, watching Robin perfect something it took him years to master. Tyrus shook his head at himself, now feeling greatly overwhelmed by this new student.

Completing the final kata, Robin shifted the bokken back to his side, mimicking how Tyrus had returned the sword to his belt. Standing up fully, Robin looked to Tyrus, "Well, how was that?" he asked; judging from the expression on the guy's face, Robin didn't know whether he had done it right... or failed miserably.

Tyrus closed his mouth, "That was... really something." he said, massaging his jaw. "You _are_ a fast learner kid, I'll give you that." he admitted, knowing what he said was a severe understatement.

"Great, so can I move on to the next set?" asked Robin seriously, eager to advance his training. He was close, he could feel it; all he needed was to see Tyrus perform more of these techniques... If he could get it right, then he knew Grey would never be able to hurt Starfire.

"Don't get cocky." responded Tyrus with a grimace, "These forms are intended to teach discipline, patience, and awareness; there's much more to it than simply performing them properly... you must understand them fully. The significance of returning the sword to its scabbard, for example, illustrates more than simple etiquette. On another note, you must try to attain full concentration before performing the cuts; it's most important to visualize your opponent. Practice those kata more and then we'll see about moving on..."

- - - - - -

Carried along with the sound of gentle ocean waves, a surprisingly warm current of air rushed in through the window. At the sound of his alarm clock, Robin slowly opened his eyes, surprised to see that everything, though blurry through his tired vision, seemed much darker than he would have expected at this hour. Fully waking, Robin looked to his side to see a seemingly tall structure obstructing the light from the windows; looking carefully, he realized that this structure was his bed. Looking down at his feet, Robin saw that his blanket had been twisted around his body as though someone had haphazardly wrapped him up in it. As he examined the situation extensively, he realized he must have rolled off of the bed in his sleep... unusual, because it had never happened before; but what was even more strange was that the fall hadn't awakened him. Robin attempted to move his arm, but found it quite difficult with his muscles aching the way they did. _'I guess the training is paying off.'_ he thought, taking a note from the saying, _'No pain, no gain'._ Fighting through it, Robin removed the contorted blanket from himself and tossed it aside. As he tried to sit up, he felt a pain in his abdomen restricting him... more muscle fatigue; the continuous beeping of his alarm clock didn't help the situation much either. With the help of his bed, Robin pulled himself up, squinting as his eyes met the sun's blazing luminosity.

Robin shielded his eyes from the sun as he forced himself to stand up fully. Moving carefully to the shelf beside his bed, Robin reached out a sore arm and shut off the still blaring alarm clock. Letting out a sigh, he now knew he had to stretch out his muscles or else risk locking them up. No doubt the others would wonder why he would be hobbling stiffly through the tower all day. Through pain and groaning, Robin stretched out every muscle that ached, which was nearly every muscle in his body. After a while, Robin felt his stiff movements starting to loosen up as the pain in his muscles began to dissipate into a subtle burning. Grasping a hand firmly on his shoulder, Robin moved his neck about. All this pain he felt was more than worth going through. Everything he put himself through, he did for his friends... for Starfire.

This morning's sun brought with it a certain amount of respite for Robin. It was during the day that he knew he didn't have to worry about much... except getting over the effects of early morning training. Now he could focus on what was most important to him. He had promised himself that he would make these days memorable for Starfire, so that even if she did leave... she would always have something fond to look back on. It was a promise he intended to keep. But he didn't want to think about what will happen after these days pass. Now was a time to live in the moment as long as possible, to cherish every one like it was the last... and one of those moments very well could be.

Robin shifted his attention from his much dwelled on thoughts to the open window. The sun was shining intensely; despite the early hour, it almost carried the full color of the midday sun, bright and white. The sky was a clear cerulean blue, bleached by the vivid sunlight and complemented by the platinum sea. The breeze which carried in through the window was without chill, soft and warm. It was another, as Starfire would put it, _'glorious day'_, if only a little sweltry. This amount of heat, this early in the morning, meant that it would get progressively warmer throughout the day... maybe even to an unbearable level. The weather had certainly been unpredictable lately, but at least it was finally reflecting the time of year. Robin wondered how Starfire felt about weather of this kind; she only seemed to be bothered by the cold, and even then, it had to be _really_ cold. So, maybe she wouldn't mind being outside on a day like this... he hoped.

Robin walked over to his closet and took out the usual, planning to take a hot shower in order to loosen up his muscles even more. While he walked to the door, yawning away some lingering tiredness, there was one thing on his mind; how could he make today special for Starfire? Aside from the time they had spent in the park, the day before had been anything but memorable. In order to make up for that, he had to find something she wanted to do, something she considered to be fun, or important, but what? Sliding open his door, Robin checked around the hallway; with the absence of the usual sounds, he could tell no one was awake yet.

- - - - - -

As the sun shined through her windows, spreading its glow throughout the room, Starfire was immediately awakened by its powerful energy. The sun was intense this morning, almost overwhelming with its uninterrupted brightness. Feeling the rather warm atmosphere in the air, Starfire peeled the blanket from herself, letting it slide off the foot of her bed as she realized how hot it was; this barely helped, as the wind which came in through the window was quite warm on its own. Sitting up quickly, Starfire stepped off of her bed and tiredly retreated to the cool shadows, outside of the sun's reach. Letting out a sigh of relief as the temperature decreased, Starfire fanned her face and neck with her hand. She was glad that she had decided to remove her boots and gloves before sleeping, which helped her to cool off at this moment. Even though the sun provided her with ample energy, it had heated the air to a fairly uncomfortable level, and though her people could withstand harsh conditions, she realized she must have been lying in the sun for quite some time. Though it was hot in the light, the shadows cooled things down to a tolerable temperature.

As soon as she cooled off, Starfire was suddenly struck by optimism; though somewhat sweltering, the weather was terrific. It was another day that could be spent outdoors... though she knew she couldn't sneak off with Robin again... not two days in a row; however tempting, it was far too obvious. She only wished she could freely do these things without worry, but she didn't know how Robin felt about her. Though he obviously cared, it was not clear if he was merely being a good friend to her. This love she felt for him... was at times more than she could bear; it was like both pain and happiness in one befuddled and unruly emotion. The happiness of love came simply from being at Robin's side, seeing a smile on his face, or hearing laughter in his voice. The pain came from not knowing, feeling often like she was fooling herself into believing something that could never be. Starfire shook her head; such troubling thoughts were not worth thinking about. She believed it was not right to worry about things she had so little control over... Today was a day to be spent with the one she loved, a day to focus on the happiness and not the pain.

Breathing in the fresh sea air that came in through the window, Starfire smiled and stretched her arms out, letting a squeaky yawn escape her mouth. Opening her eyes after yawning, Starfire caught a look at herself in a tall mirror that rested against the wall; her hair was quite disorderly, frizzy and sticking out in nearly every direction due to the heat and her resting on the pillow. Straightening it out as best she could with her hands, Starfire was quite amused at what she saw in the reflection. Realizing there wasn't much she could do, Starfire ambled over to her closet, making sure to take a towel and clothes this time so she would not embarrass Robin like before. As she walked to her door, Starfire avoided stepping in the scorching light; as much as she had cooled off, she figured a nice cold shower would help out a lot.

- - - - - -

Stepping out of the bathroom in a change of uniform, Robin brought the towel up to his head and dried off his hair as he started walking down the hallway. Draping the towel over his shoulders, Robin massaged his arms which were still slightly sore from the training. Looking up, he could see Starfire coming down the hall in his direction, "Morning Star." he said.

Seeing Robin, Starfire immediately threw her towel over the top of her head; as funny as she thought it looked, for whatever reason, she didn't want Robin to see her hair in this condition. Holding the towel in place, Starfire hovered past him, smiling largely, "Good morning Robin. Is it not a wonderful morning? Well, I must be going now, bye!" she strung together a frantic sentence as she raced into the bathroom and shut the door.

Robin stood perplexed in the hall. Suddenly, a smile came to his expression; he found that no matter what she was doing, no matter how strange it seemed, she always managed to pull it off with that undeniable cuteness. Continuing on his way, Robin stopped for a moment as something came to his mind, "Was she not wearing any shoes?" he asked himself.

- - - - - -

Hardly any light from the outside passed through the dark curtains, so this room was just about the coolest in the tower at the moment. Barely able to get any sleep, Raven had spent nearly the entire night and part of the morning attempting to clear her thoughts. "Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos." said Raven calmly while she levitated above her bed with her eyes closed. Breathing in deeply, Raven exhaled and opened her eyes, feeling like she had finally expelled Iris' emotions from the recesses of her mind, or at least kept them at bay. Standing up from her bed, Raven sighed; she was back to herself again. Even so, she couldn't ignore what those trapped emotions had done to her... it had been quite a long time since she had last cried. Raven placed some blame on herself for this. Recently she had been letting the simplest of her emotions out, not keeping them as safely guarded as usual; this is what caused Iris... and whoever else was in there to have such a lasting effect on her. With a doorway open for her emotions to be released, there was nothing stopping someone else's from getting in, especially when their minds collided the way they did.

Raven figured she should try to keep better control of her emotions. But one thing worried her, she found that all control she believed she had over her thoughts and emotions simply disappeared whenever she was around... him. With his constant joking and obnoxious personality, he drove her crazy... he was the only one who could. And she couldn't help but ask herself... why? What made him different than everybody else?

_'Could it be that I--' _suddenly, Raven heard a familiar voice in distress followed by a loud thump coming from somewhere in the tower.

- - - - - -

The curtains were open wide, allowing a bright stream of sunlight to penetrate into his room. Sleeping on the bottom bunk of his bed, Beast Boy snored slightly as his head hung over the edge of his mattress. Somehow, he had managed to twist himself around in his sleep so he was positioned with his shoulders facing the foot and head of his bed. This could be explained by the fact that, often, his dreams would cause him to transform into animals without knowing it. Feeling something warm on his forehead, something which had been intensifying in heat for a while, Beast Boy began squinting, awakened by the strange feeling. As soon as he opened his eyes, he found himself staring into a blinding white light. His eyes stung as his pupils went from dilated to closed in an instant.

Sitting up quickly, Beast Boy put his hands over his eyes; opening them slowly, he saw nothing but a swirl of bright formless colors shifting about in an endless white abyss. "AAH! I'M BLIND!" he screamed, getting up to frantically stumble around in his room. Before he knew it, Beast Boy had run face first into a wall, causing himself to land in a pile of clothes beside his bed where he sat dazed for several moments.

"Beast Boy!" Raven slid his door open, looking across the room, "Are you--" she cut herself off as she saw him lying on the floor. Seeing several things knocked from a desk beside the wall, Raven did the math and figured he had run into the wall somehow. Sitting up, Beast Boy opened his eyes, surprised to find his vision slowly returning. As Raven came into view, he saw that she had narrowed her eyes at him, "I thought you were being attacked in here." she said crossly.

At the sight of Raven glaring at him, Beast Boy felt very embarrassed, "The sun... it was REALLY bright." he said awkwardly. Suddenly, a pile of clothes from the top bunk fell on his head.

- - - - - -

Coming back from his room after putting away his things, Robin walked through the halls on his way to the living room. As he came out of the hallway, he was surprised to find himself met by the aroma of breakfast being cooked; pancakes and... he didn't really care; it was food, and his stomach needed it. Looking around, Robin saw that Cyborg had taken his place in the kitchen; standing in front of the stove, he flipped the pancakes that Robin had taken notice of. Beast Boy was on the couch with the remote in one hand, switching through the channels. Sitting on the other end of the couch, Raven read the pages of a rather dark looking book. The first thing Robin noticed as he began walking to the kitchen table, was how warm it was in the tower, even in the shadows. The sun was shining in through the main windows; if not for the television, Beast Boy and Raven would be directly under its scorching light. Sitting down at a chair, Robin still felt tired, which was understandable since he had only gotten a few hours of rest. Placing his arms on the table, Robin rested his head on them and unknowingly drifted off to sleep.

Settling on the morning news, Beast Boy set the remote down at his side and continued watching; the forecast, which called for more sunny weather, was being shown. Beast Boy was bored out of his mind... there was never anything on in the morning. Hardly paying attention to the television, Beast Boy heard a page being turned from across the couch. Unable to forget about Raven's peculiar behavior last night, he turned an eye to her. He didn't know how, but he could tell something was still troubling her; it was in her eyes. For some reason, he felt as though he needed to ask her about it.

"Um, Raven, are you--" he started.

"I'm fine Beast Boy. I appreciate your concern, but what happened back there, happened because of the way I am. It's something I risk whenever I enter someone's mind... especially if I wasn't planning on doing so. It's why I meditate, why I try to keep my own mind in check." Raven said quickly. She didn't mean to sound like she was telling him off, but... that's just the way it came out.

"That's not what I meant..." Beast Boy looked down, afraid of how she would hear this, "Last night... I heard you crying and--" he started, quietly so Robin and Cyborg couldn't hear.

Standing up slightly, Raven slammed her book shut and turned to Beast Boy, feeling almost assaulted, "You were listening?" she asked with subtle anger in her voice. "What? Were you standing outside my door?" she questioned him again through clenched teeth as she set her book down on the couch.

"NO, no. That wasn't it at all." Beast Boy shook his head and held his hands up in front of himself, "I went to the kitchen last night... when I came back and walked past your door... I heard you." he explained, "Look, I wouldn't have said anything, but... you never cry." he added.

"Oh." Raven calmed down and sat back down on the couch, feeling regretful for not hearing him out, "What you heard was just some lingering emotions from that girl's mind manifesting themselves through me. In essence, it wasn't me crying, it was her." she explicated. "But I've taken care of the situation... you shouldn't worry about it." she said, though it was rather touching, she had not often seen the sentimental side of Beast Boy.

"Sorry... it's just, what kind of friend would I be if I didn't worry?" he asked, raising one eyebrow slightly.

For reasons unknown to her, Raven found that sentence to be both hurtful and kind, "Um... thanks." she responded, picking up her book and returning to where she left off via the bookmark.

- - - - - -

"BREAKFAST!" Cyborg hollered.

Robin shot up from his position, "I'M UP! Wha-" he cut himself off as he saw all the others sitting at the table; everyone smirked at him, except Starfire who gave him a sympathetic look. "Uh... never mind." he said, sitting up straight in his chair as Cyborg passed out plates to everyone. As he looked to Starfire who sat adjacent to him, he noticed something was different about her... but what? Under closer inspection, he saw that she was not wearing her usual gloves or boots; instead, a tiny pair of sandals adorned her feet. He figured she must have done this to cool off; thinking about it, he realized how hot it actually was in the tower. Robin pulled at his collar to alleviate some of the heat.

"Uh, is this...?" Beast Boy let his question trail away as he stared at his plate which had only pancakes on it.

"Don't worry, there's no eggs in it." Cyborg pointed to two separate boxes of pancake mix in the kitchen; apparently, one of them didn't need eggs to be made properly, "I got two different boxes. Heck, your pancakes almost taste like the real thing." he joked, sitting down at one end of the table.

"Hey, thanks!" Beast Boy said. Picking up a fork, he began devouring the vegetarian-safe pancakes. All the while, he looked at Cyborg out of the corner of his eye, wondering what he wanted in return.

Fork in hand, Robin simply stared at his plate; his stomach let out a growl as the scent of butter and syrup got to him. Too hungry to restrain himself, Robin proceeded to voraciously eat away at the pancakes; within what seemed like mere seconds, he had finished the entire plate. Letting out a satisfied breath, Robin leaned back in his chair, looking up to see everyone staring at him.

"Hungry much?" asked Beast Boy before taking a drink of water. Robin attempted to hide under his shoulders when he realized what he had done.

After finishing their meals, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven retreated to the living room where all three could be seen talking about something. Robin stayed at the kitchen table, unable to resist a second helping. Starfire merely watched Robin, a little worried and curious about what could have made him so deprived of energy. She had noticed a slight tired limp to his step when she saw him in the hall earlier.

"Robin, are you well?" she asked as Robin quickly finished his second plate, "You seem... fatigued." she added; she was sure that if she could see his eyes, there would be dark rings under them.

Robin tensed up, _'She noticed... what are you gonna tell her? You can't tell her the truth.' _he thought. Setting his fork down on the plate, Robin looked to Starfire, preparing to make up something; however, he found himself caught in her emerald green eyes which looked on in worry... how could he lie to those eyes? "Um, I was... training, early this morning." he said, nodding his head once.

"Oh, I see." Starfire looked at her empty plate. She wished he wouldn't put himself through so much. Suddenly Starfire looked back up at him, "Has it been affecting your sleep?" she asked, "I do not believe training in that state would help you..."

Robin was thankful that she was concerned about him, but there was absolutely nothing he could do about it... he had to keep training, no matter what, "It's not much... I've just been trying to make up for the days I haven't trained." he said; another half-truth...

"I understand." Starfire knew Robin's obligations were important to him, "But, please... do not overwork yourself." she said with his best interest in mind.

"Don't worry, I won't." he said, unable to keep from smiling.

Sitting on the couch between Beast Boy and Raven, Cyborg looked over his shoulder at Robin and Starfire who were in the midst of what looked like a flirtatious conversation. Cyborg smirked, either they were both blind, or they really couldn't see how much they were crushing on each other. He wondered what would happen if he were to just blurt out the truth to both of them. But he knew he couldn't do that; this kind of thing required finesse... not to mention that it was much more fun to sit back and watch it unfold.

Cyborg got Beast Boy and Raven's attention, "Y'all haven't forgotten about our little plan have you?" he asked slyly in a whisper.

Beast Boy perked up, "Oh yeah." he grinned excessively wide, "Just two more days." he said, "Still plenty of time to mess with them."

"I know it's kinda you're turn again." Cyborg said, looking at Beast Boy, "But I've got a really great idea. So much better than a movie." he chuckled.

"So that's what the vegetarian pancakes were for." Beast Boy narrowed his eyes at him, "Why should I let you--" cutting Beast Boy off mid-sentence, Cyborg whispered something in his ear. Curious, Raven attempted to lean in and hear what he was saying, however he finished before she got a chance. Suddenly, Beast Boy burst out laughing, holding his sides, "Alright, alright. Go for it." he spoke through his chuckling.

"Hey Robin!" Cyborg shouted, "Beast Boy just got an idea!"

Beast Boy gained a confused look, "Wha-" before he could protest, he felt himself shoved around the couch by Cyborg's metal arms. Turning around, he looked at Cyborg angrily.

"Well, I can't take credit for it. It's s'posed to be your turn anyway." Cyborg made up an excuse.

"You're a brave one." Raven commented at Cyborg sarcastically, knowing that he just didn't want to deal with Robin on the subject of fun... or whatever it was he was going to make Beast Boy suggest.

Still sitting at the table with Starfire, Robin looked to Beast Boy inquisitively. Suddenly, Beast Boy got stage fright, "Um, I was thinking... since it's so hot today, we should go have lunch at the beach." he braced himself for the reaction, "Where better to spend a day like this... right?" he asked quickly, feeling small and insignificant as though he was in the Doom Patrol again. Beast Boy gritted his teeth, suddenly developing the need for vengeance; Cyborg would be on the business end of so many pranks if this didn't work out.

Selfish as it sounded, there were less than four days left, and Robin wanted to spend them with Starfire, "Well... I--" he started.

"The beach?" Starfire stood up, her eyes gleaming with hope, "Perhaps we could go swimming as well, yes?" she looked to Robin, hands clasped together in front of herself.

"Yeah, sounds like a great idea." Robin said, as though he had no control over his speech.

"Oh, splendid!" Starfire exclaimed in happiness, "I have never had the pleasure of swimming in earth waters before. Tell me, is it enjoyable?" she asked Robin fervently.

Robin could hardly remember the last time he had gone swimming under peaceful circumstances, "Yeah, I think so." he said. As he watched Starfire being enthusiastic about a trip to the beach, he figured it wasn't such a bad idea after all. Robin felt like thanking Beast Boy, who had given him exactly what he was looking for; something Starfire would be interested in. Not only was she interested in it, she had never gone swimming on earth before... it was perfect.

Sneaking back to the couch while Robin and Starfire talked, Beast Boy let out a breath and sat down. Forgetting about getting back at Cyborg for now, a funny thought came to his mind, "Can you imagine the look on Robin's face when he sees Starfire in a swimsuit?" Beast Boy chortled, quietly so Robin and Starfire couldn't hear.

Cyborg grinned evilly, "Yeah, it'll be priceless! He might just faint!" he said, laughing hysterically under his breath.

"Perverts." Raven commented, though she didn't deny she would get an inward laugh at the look on Robin's face as well.

"I have seen humans wear the... _scuba_ gear when they swim. Do they always wear this?" Starfire suddenly asked, "On my planet, some Tamaranians would simply go without--"

"A bathing suit Starfire. You'd wear a bathing suit." Raven cut in, suddenly standing right next to Starfire, "Remember that thing you bought at the mall a while ago?" she asked. Starfire shook her head, unable to remember. "Come on." said Raven, leading Starfire away to show her what she had bought, explaining the details along the way; as funny as she thought that situation would be, Raven attempted to spare Robin the awkward moment just this once.

After hearing the explanation, Starfire turned to Raven as they walked, "Oh, I always believed those were..." she slouched slightly so she could move closer to Raven's ear, "_Undergarments_." she whispered. Raven could be seen shaking her head as they entered the hallway.

- - - - - -

Several hours passed; it was nearly lunchtime and the Titans had all gathered in the T-Car, now driving to a little known section of the beach where their lunch would go uninterrupted. All the windows were wide open, letting whatever amount of air in as possible on this scorching day. Starfire sat near a window for once, looking enthusiastic as ever, hardly able to wait until they reached their destination. Raven sat in the middle, feeling rather crowded... though somehow she didn't quite mind one aspect of sitting in the middle. Beast Boy, positioned on the right side of the backseats, was now feeling the effects of the immense heat from the sun which penetrated his open window; turning into a large floppy-eared dog, he stuck his head out of the window and began panting in the wind. Robin sat in the front seat as usual; though he had rarely taken his eyes off of Starfire, who was wearing quite a different outfit than usual, Robin looked out his window with curiosity, wondering where they were going as more and more trees began to overtake the scenery. Stepping on the brakes, Cyborg brought the car to a stop along a road which curved off to the right further on in a hallway of tall green trees and some tropical flora.

Cyborg looked out his window and squinted with his human eye, "There it is." he said, pointing out at a barely noticeable dirt road which led off into the trees. "I used to come here all the time when I was a kid. It was the best place to practice swimming without all those people gettin' in the way." he reminisced, turning the car onto the road. "Luckily the city kinda forgot about this place. You can thank urban expansion for that." he joked, knowing normally the city's expansions built over and destroyed places like this. The car began to bump wildly on the rocky terrain. One thing became apparent as they drove through the wilderness, it certainly was a lot cooler in the shadow of all those trees. Before long, the trees seemed to become more tropical in appearance; the ground beneath said trees was lined with ferns and other short plants. An opening in the trees gave all the Titans pause with the scene it revealed. None could refrain from staring out the driver's side windows as Cyborg brought the car to a complete halt and shut it off.

One by one, the Titans filed out of the car to look upon the scenery in awe. Just beyond the barrier of trees, the ground shifted into a large section of beautiful white sands, highlighted with a lively glow in the blazing, uninterrupted sunlight. The sand led off into the stunning blue-green waters which shimmered as several soft waves glided peacefully across its surface. Crystal clear and relatively still, the details of the ocean floor below could be seen through the water with surprising clarity. Further out, the horizon was obstructed by two tall walls of red-ish brown rock on either side; extending out from the forest behind them and on into the ocean, the rock walls curved inward and stopped just short of meeting each other, giving the area a crescent shape, and making it more of a bay than a beach. Seemingly out of place, a single palm tree stood tall near the shoreline, its bristly green leaves swaying in the balmy breeze. It was, simply put, an astonishing sight to gaze upon; a lost paradise hidden far outside the reaches of the urban jungle.

"Oh, is it not a stunning sight?" Starfire marveled, stepping gleefully out of the trees and on to the white sands where she twirled about in wonderment.

There was only one _stunning sight_ Robin had his eyes on at this moment. Looking angelic as she stood in the sunlight, Starfire wore a knee-length lavender sun dress; very different, but it merely contributed to her radiant beauty. Two straps held up the dress, revealing much more of her neck and shoulders than usual. The thin fabric was lit up bright by the sun, and Starfire's slender silhouette could be seen through it. In a dreamy daze, Robin simply stood by the car, unable to take his eyes off of her as she admired the scenic environment.

All the Titans, aside from Cyborg who really had no choice in the matter, were wearing slightly different clothing. Robin, still dreamily gazing, was wearing a dark gray t-shirt over green swim-shorts, though he hadn't really planned on going in the water. Beast Boy wore similar attire to Robin; a black t-shirt over purple swim shorts, keeping his usual colors intact. Raven appeared to be wearing the same thing as always, her blue cloak, though she had her hood down; unknown to the others, mostly because it looked like her normal outfit without sleeves, Raven wore a black one-piece bathing suit under her cloak just in case _someone_ decided to pull a prank and toss her in the water.

As the entranced Robin followed Starfire out on to the beach, the other Titans looked at each other knowingly while they removed their things from the trunk. Robin walked up to Starfire, who then turned to him and smiled a smile that could melt a thousand hearts. "So, what are the oceans like on your planet?" he asked, attempting not to let that smile make his voice shake.

"Oh, they are quite hazardous to one's health. On Tamaran, no one ever swims in the ocean." she explained, "Large bodies of _innocuous_ water are very rare. Which is why we do not often swim." she said, breathing in the fresh sea air.

"But, you've swam before right?" Robin queried.

Starfire put her hands together in front of herself, "Truthfully, I have not..." she admitted, seeming slightly embarrassed to say so.

"Oh, do you know how--" Robin was interrupted as Beast Boy, in the form of a large bird, flew past them, kicking up a large amount of wind. As the gusts came by, Starfire held her dress down to keep it from flying over her head. Beast Boy flew high up above the water, and Robin didn't need to be a mind reader in order to see what was coming next.

Reverting back into a human, Beast Boy grinned knowing all eyes were watching him, "CAAAAAAAAAAANOOOOOOOOOON!" he yelled as he began falling, "BAAAAAAAAAAAAA--" Beast Boy was cut off painfully as he hit the water flat on his back, "...Ouch." he said in a monotone, before sinking under the water in defeat.

"Karma." commented Raven, positioning a large umbrella and a beach towel on the sand with her powers, watching out of the corner of her eye as Beast Boy continued to swim around under the water... unharmed.

Starfire giggled and turned to Robin, "Shall we join him?" she asked with a smile, taking to the sky. Before Robin could look up and see what she was doing, he felt a reasonable amount of fabric fall on him, followed by two heavier objects which bounced off his head and landed in the sand. Pulling the lavender cloth from his head, Robin realized with a jump in heart rate, that he was holding Starfire's dress in his hands. Hearing a splash in the water, he looked up to see her surfacing; what he saw through the clear waters was almost more than his conscience could take. She wore a small... two-piece purple bathing suit; even through the water he could see much more of her figure than he was used to. Even more unnerving, the bikini seemed to be held together by strings tied at her hips, and he assumed, her back as well. Robin was just glad that the only other guys here were Cyborg and Beast Boy, who he knew didn't look at Starfire the way he was looking at her now...

"Robin?" Starfire called from the water, waving her hand in the air, "Are you not going to swim with us?" she asked, though she would have liked to put _'me' _in place of _'us'_.

"Uh..." Robin looked at the dress in his hands, which he forgot he was holding, "Yeah." he said quickly, with a slight crack in his voice. Tossing the dress aside near Starfire's discarded sandals, he reached for his shirt.

As Starfire watched Robin remove his shirt, she felt a shiver run up her spine, even in the lukewarm water. The scar from his fight with the robot was visible, but had healed well since the incident. Feeling guilty, Starfire looked over his... well defined body amorously, feeling herself beginning to melt away in her own thoughts. As she stared at Robin without notice of her own actions, Starfire began sinking under the water which immediately brought her attention back to reality. However, she couldn't keep her thoughts in check for very long; as Robin took off his shoes and began swimming out toward her, Starfire felt a silly smile spread widely across her face.

"Well, I guess that answers my question." Robin said, coming to a stop beside her, but making sure not to get too close. "I thought you said you've never swam before... how are you doing it now?" he asked.

"Like flight, I suppose such a thing is instinct." she replied with a smile, moving her arms and legs to keep herself up; she could fly, however, she wanted to experience this as a human would.

"What?" Robin asked, seeming worried, "You just jumped in the water trusting instinct to keep you afloat?" he questioned, wondering what was going through her mind, almost forgetting that she could fly.

Starfire looked confused, "Is there any other way?" she asked in response.

Robin had to think about that for a moment, "No, I guess there isn't." he replied, sounding amused. Robin and Starfire began laughing in unison, until, with a hollow plastic _pang_, Robin felt something strike him on the side of his head. Looking to his side, Robin saw a multi-colored beach ball floating in the water.

"Dodge ball!" Cyborg could be heard shouting from the shoreline before jumping in the water and causing a large splash.

"AAH!" Beast Boy screamed, seeing his cybernetic friend enter the water, "Cyborg! Quick, get out before you electrocute us!" he yelled, attempting to fly out of the water without changing into the proper animal.

"First off, it's the ocean... not a bathtub; second, I'm a cyborg, not a toaster; and third, I'm sure I've told you this before--" Cyborg sounded reasonably annoyed, "I'm completely waterproof!" he said, banging a hand against his metal chest. Just then, Cyborg felt the beach ball slap him on the human side of his face.

"Challenge accepted." Robin said with a smirk, letting his competitive side out. Looking to his side, Robin saw Starfire laughing and clapping her hands in amusement. Seeing this, he figured he should let go of all his worries; now was not a time to be thinking about them. For once in what felt like a very long time, he simply wanted to enjoy the day as much as possible... with Starfire here, he knew that would be an easy goal to accomplish.

"Sweet!" Cyborg shouted, picking up the beach ball, "It'll be me and BB against you two." he said, aiming at Robin once more. Soon, the two teams engaged in a game of water-dodge ball, neither playing by any specific rules or keeping any particular score. The beach ball was dodged just as many times as it was thrown; each team having their own advantages. Beast Boy could fly, allowing him to throw the ball from the air; Starfire could fly as well, but had him outdone when it came to speed and strength. Robin had an unmatched accuracy with his throws, but Cyborg countered that with his ability to tactically calculate every single dodging or throwing situation he came upon. However, as time passed, the ball seemed to be hitting one team more than the other, and two clear winners emerged.

"Okay, okay! We give!" Cyborg conceded, feeling like he had been struck by that beach ball a thousand times.

"We are victorious!" Starfire exclaimed triumphantly, throwing her hands up in the air, smiling so wide that she had to squint her eyes.

"Alright!" Robin cheered, enthusiastic for once. Without really thinking about what they were doing, Robin and Starfire locked their hands together in some sort of victory gesture. As they brought their hands down beside their faces, Robin snapped back to reality and discovered how close they were; less than a foot apart. He noticed that holding her hand felt much better when he wasn't wearing gloves. Starfire still smiled and giggled without restraint; all Robin could do was look on in wonderment at her arresting beauty... her hair was completely soaked, causing her bangs to fall in front of her forehead... he loved when that happened.

Beast Boy snickered as he watched them from far away, "Hey, I'll race you to that rock." he said to Cyborg, pointing to a large black rock quite a distance outside of the bay.

"Psh. Why would I just compete against you in a pointless race like that?" Cyborg asked.

Beast Boy looked down at his feet under the water, "Sorry. I guess I can get a little over competitive sometimes and--HEY!" he yelled as he watched Cyborg speeding off to the rock, laughing hysterically. "No fair!" he shouted, transforming into a dolphin in order to chase after Cyborg.

Starfire opened her eyes fully, finding herself staring directly into Robin's mask; surprisingly, he seemed to be smiling just as much as she was. They were less than a foot apart... kissing distance, _'No, do not think that!' _she ordered herself as her cheeks began to redden. Letting go of Robin's hands, Starfire turned away, attempting to hide her blushful face.

Seeing this, Robin cursed his stupidity at not breaking away from her sooner, _'What were you thinking...?' _he asked himself rather disdainfully.

"Um, shall we see what is beyond this place?" Starfire asked, still looking away. Feeling as though enough of the blush had left her cheeks, Starfire turned around to face Robin, managing to smile; beginning to swim backward, she motioned for him to follow. Feeling relieved that she probably had turned away to have a look at the opening between the two rock walls, Robin turned around and began swimming after her in the same fashion. As they met up beyond the rock walls, Robin and Starfire took a left and continued swimming backward; as they got farther away, they could see Cyborg and Beast Boy now racing back to the bay.

- - - - - -

Sitting on the beach towel under the umbrella, Raven looked up from her book. Cyborg was swimming laps around the lagoon, for nostalgic purposes she assumed. Beast Boy was nowhere to be seen; she guessed that he must have gone on his own to dive off some high rocks or something...

_'He didn't even try to toss me in the water.'_ She thought, looking back into her book. _'Are you... disappointed?'_ she asked herself out of the blue, _'...No.'_ came a delayed reply. Suddenly, Raven felt something grasp her by the shoulders; dropping her book, she looked up to find that a large green eagle had taken hold of her. "Beast Boy!" she shouted as she felt herself being lifted into the air, "What do you think you're doing?" she demanded as she was brought high above the lagoon. Feeling the grip loosen, Raven was not surprised at all as she began falling. Beast Boy reverted back to human form and proceeded to fall right along with her, grinning evilly. Though Raven could have easily levitated out of this situation, she wanted to turn this prank around on Beast Boy. Pulling away the gem which held her cloak on, Raven let it fly off as she turned toward the water and dove in; underwater, she could see Beast Boy had belly flopped on the surface. Swimming to the shore, Raven surfaced and began walking back to the beach towel. Catching her still descending cloak with one hand, she wrapped it back around herself, sat down on the towel, and nonchalantly resumed reading her book.

Beast Boy just floated in the same place, jaw dropped below the water in astonishment.

"Looks like the joke's on you." Cyborg commented.

- - - - - -

"Robin?" Starfire got his attention as both looked to the sky while swimming backward, side by side. "How long has it been since you have gone swimming?" she asked, seeing that he seemed to be rather adept at it.

"Oh, well, remember the guy I told you about... the one who got me out of the orphanage?" Robin asked in response, still looking up to the sky.

"Yes. The Batman." Starfire responded, still unable to hold back a giggle at the thought of a half-man, half-bat.

Robin smiled as he heard her say that; many people in Gotham had often referred to him as _'The Batman'_. "Yeah. Well, he was really rich. So, of course, he had an indoor pool. I never really swam for fun though... it was usually just for exercise." he explained, realizing how monotonous he must seem; always training, always doing something serious.

"Oh, I see." Starfire looked up to the sky as she pushed herself along the water, admiring the light and fluffy clouds suspended high in the sun-bleached blue. Robin's mention of the orphanage brought something to her thoughts, "Robin...?" she trailed off, about to ask a fairly personal question.

"Yeah?" he replied, noticing a slight hesitation in her voice.

Starfire breathed in deeply, "Do you ever... miss your parents?" she asked, feeling wistful at the thought.

Robin closed his eyes and listened to the calmly rolling ocean, "Every day..." he admitted something he had never told anyone. Robin realized that he didn't mind telling her that; more importantly, he felt as though he could tell her anything... almost anything. "...Um, what about you?" he asked, afraid that she might not have even known her parents well enough to feel anything.

"Yes." Starfire turned her face toward Robin, "For much of my life, they were very distant... but this could not be helped." she explained, "I miss them, even now." she sighed lightly. "But, I have found something Robin... something that I care for very much... as sad as I am to be apart from my family, what I have found brings me all the happiness I need." Starfire's face began to glow red with blush.

Robin found himself swimming closer to her, looking into her eyes, "Star--Ow!" he grunted as both he and Starfire bumped their heads into something solid. Pulling back and massaging their craniums, Robin and Starfire saw that they had collided with a large stone wall. Turning their attention up, they noticed the top of a newly repaired Ferris Wheel; they had swam all the way to the amusement park. Looking to each other with smiles, Robin and Starfire began wading to shore.

Walking up onto the hot sandy shore, Robin and Starfire noticed a sizeable crowd had gathered atop the boardwalk. Taking a path up the hill, they stepped on to the boardwalk and moved closer to the back of the crowd to see what was going on, both felt rather naked beside a group of fully-clothed people. In the distance, they could see a man standing at the entrance to the park.

"The amusement park will be open later tonight! Make sure to stick around; we'll be setting off a fireworks display after dark to celebrate the reopening!"

* * *

**Author's Note:** Yes! I'm two days early with this one! Hope you enjoyed this chapter; I know I had a fun time writing it, especially the scenes at the lagoon :). By the way, xXxPrincess of DreamsxXx started a very interesting thread in the forum (can be found on my profile page); it concerns Grey, if your interested in posting your assumptions about him. Once again, thank you Sayan-P for providing the sword fighting informatioin.

My thanks goes out to everyone for reading and reviewing! Happy New Year!

**Next Chapter Preview:** With the amusement park repaired and reopened, the Titans seize another opportunity to have some much needed fun, in some ways more than others. Day 7, Part Two: A Starlit Night and Fireworks.


	14. Day 7, Part 2: A Starlit Night

**10 Leisurely Days**

by Blue Ten

**Summary:**

Robin finds out that Starfire will be leaving for Tamaran in 10 days. Keeping his discovery a secret, he has a little over a week to give her a reason to stay. But when things keep getting in the way, will he even get the chance? RobxStar, BBxRae

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Teen Titans.

* * *

Day 7, Part Two: A Starlit Night and Fireworks

The man standing at the entrance to the amusement park finished his announcement. Starfire looked to Robin and smiled hopefully, "Oh, this is most wonderful news, is it not?" she asked gleefully, "Shall we all go?" she queried, not wanting to leave the others out; after all, it was a big place... Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven could have fun on their own while she spent time with Robin.

The crowd was beginning to move around after the announcement, causing Robin to become a little uneasy. "Yeah, that's a great idea." he said quickly, "Uh... let's go tell them right now." he finished. Taking Starfire's hand, he led her off the boardwalk and back down the hill as the crowd began to turn around to leave. As they managed to get away without notice, Robin let out a relieved sigh while they stood next to the stone wall. The last thing he wanted was for that many people to notice them while they were dressed in less than clothes. Noticing that he was still holding Starfire's hand, Robin quickly let go and hid his facial expression.

Starfire watched as Robin warily eyed the crowed on their exit, "Robin, why must we leave so soon? There is much time left in which we can inform our friends." she said.

Robin searched for an answer, though it was really just irrational fear that drove him away from the crowd, "Well, I just didn't want that crowd to notice us... We're kinda well known around here," he understated, "You know how they can be, right?" he asked.

"Yes... indeed." she said, thinking about people like that _Kathryn_, who couldn't seem to stay away. However, she noticed that Robin seemed intent on hiding more than his face from the people, _'Is he... shy?' _she wondered in thought. Starfire giggled.

"What is it?" Robin asked, slightly confused.

"It is nothing." Starfire smiled innocently, "Shall we?" she asked, motioning a hand at the ocean. "I suppose the quickest way back to that place would be to swim." she said happily, leading Robin back to the water; again, she could fly, but she found that she enjoyed swimming almost as much. Entering the water, Robin and Starfire began to swim northerly alongside the shoreline, facing forward this time so they wouldn't run into to anything unexpected.

It had become quite blistery in the sun, and the mildly cool waters were a welcome relief. A slight shore-bound breeze served to cool down the air to a tolerable temperature. It was quite relaxing, and gave the feeling that one would have no protest to falling asleep adrift the warm ocean currents. The ocean, though calm and restrained at this moment, made pronounced sounds as it lapped up against the shore. Seagulls could be heard squawking as they flew about the area near the beach where several people had taken advantage of the sunny day as well. Luckily, Robin and Starfire were far enough out to sea that they simply looked like ordinary people swimming. Seeing the rock walls of the lagoon in the distance, Robin and Starfire realized they hadn't swam that far at all; the lagoon was relatively close to the amusement park.

As they moved along, Robin noticed Starfire speeding up, giggling as she took off; she had challenged him to a race. With a chuckle, Robin kicked his legs faster and pushed himself through the water until he caught up. He was surprised at how fast Starfire could swim considering she had only just learned how. Realizing he couldn't beat her to the lagoon, Robin grinned and playfully splashed her with water. Both came to a stop just before the opening in the walls; seeing Starfire, Robin felt guilty for doing what he did. Her bangs had fallen in front of her face, completely covering her eyes due to the extra water. Reaching her hands up, Starfire pushed the hair away from her eyes and looked at Robin curiously. Before he could apologize, Robin saw an intense smile grow on Starfire's face. Pulling her arms back under the water, Starfire pushed them forward and splashed Robin in return; however what she considered to be a playful splash, was more than twice what Robin had done. Feeling the breadth of the wave strike him, Robin closed his eyes and submerged himself under the water, letting the current pass by. Swimming back up to the surface, Robin took in a deep breath and wiped the water away from his face before opening his eyes. He saw nothing in front of him; however to his right, he noticed Starfire swimming on into the lagoon, smiling as she did.

Robin couldn't hold back a laugh as he began swimming to the opening in the walls. Along the way, he thought about what had just happened. He had completely let his guard down. A smile, a laugh; it may have seemed like nothing, but it was more than he expected to be doing under these circumstances, more than he would usually do under normal circumstances for that matter. Starfire... she brought out the best in him, made him feel things he never thought he could; unrestrained laughter, true happiness, and... love. Was there ever a more complicated feeling? It was love that he wanted to express in words to her, but for the fear of making her unhappy, it was love that kept him from speaking...

Starfire glanced behind herself, glad to see Robin was not troubled by that splash. She knew at times she could be too strong for her own good, especially when she let those specific emotions take hold of her... but she couldn't help it, Robin made those emotions more prominent. It wasn't just righteous fury that brought out her strength, it was also that wondrous mix of joyous emotions she felt whenever she was around him, the same emotions that made her fly without thinking. Starfire thought about how Robin had been acting in recent days; he seemed to be more open, and willing to speak to her about things he would usually keep hidden. She knew that soon... very soon, she would not be able to hold back on telling him exactly the way she felt. But the fear was still there... the last thing she wanted to do was change the way he looked at her; that look she could see beyond the guise of his mask, the look she assumed was friendship. These last few days had been perfect, making it even more difficult... what if she ruined it all by telling him?

_'Stop focusing on that...'_ Robin told himself in thought as he swam further into the lagoon. Once again, he decided not to let those thoughts get the best of him. After all, he was actually enjoying this day, and most importantly, so was Starfire. This was one of the few days that had gone well. Robin wanted to give Starfire more than a reason to stay on earth, he wanted to give her memories she could look back on if she decided to leave; however painful that would be for him... she was all that mattered.

"There you are! Come on, the food's ready!" came Cyborg's voice from the shore.

Robin looked up at the shore; Cyborg and the others had set up food on a picnic table he had taken little notice of before. Robin figured the picnic table was so far out of notice before because it was well covered by the shadows of the trees... that, and he was too busy staring at Starfire. For once the food seemed to be a good mix of both groups Cyborg and Beast Boy seemed to be so separately fond of; on very rare occasions, they would actually agree on something. Seeing Starfire step up onto the shore, Robin was reminded of the reason his face had been so red before; she seemed to shimmer in the sunlight as she walked, her bronzed skin enveloped in ocean water. Realizing he had stopped moving, Robin shook his head and continued on his way. Standing up on the shore, he walked forward until he stepped on the dry sand which felt like hot coals under his feet. Quickly, Robin picked up his shirt from where it sat on the sands. Knowing that he looked very strange, Robin hopped on one foot to the grassy area under the trees as he pulled his shirt back on, almost expecting his feet to release steam upon contact with the cool grass. Watching from afar, Starfire giggled as she watched Robin perform this maneuver; inwardly, she was disappointed that he had decided to put his shirt back on... but she figured that at least this way she wouldn't get caught smiling and staring mindlessly.

Starfire picked up a beach towel from the trunk of the T-Car and wrapped it around herself, much to Robin's relief; now he could keep his voice from cracking and his eyes from wandering. "Friends, we have most wonderful news!" said Starfire cheerily as she walked over to the vacant side of the table; Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven, in that order, were seated on the opposite side.

"Yeah, the amusement park's open. You guy's wanna go tonight?" Robin asked, making his way to the table, feeling his stomach growl as he looked over the food. Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven sat still for a moment, surprised by the fact that Robin had just suggested something fun, watching curiously as he sat beside Starfire at the table. Normally, Robin was too preoccupied by certain things to have fun, even when they were already doing something.

Shaking the confusion from his head, Beast Boy grinned, "Great!" he exclaimed, the idea of going to the amusement park finally hitting him, "Hey, maybe we'll win you another chicken this time." he added with a grin, lightly elbowing Raven who sat beside him.

"Oh joy..." Raven's voice was saturated with sarcasm as she kept a close eye on Beast Boy's gesture.

"Sweet!" Cyborg grinned, "So when're we going?" he asked.

"Sometime this afternoon, I guess." Robin answered, an idea suddenly popping into his mind, "Because after dark--"

"They will be showing the fireworks!" Starfire cut in happily, smiling as she thought about that spectacular light show and the fond memories of the last time she had witnessed it, though they had been somewhat cut short. Robin was surprised; maybe Starfire had the same idea he did... however, he wondered if he was just letting optimism get the best of him.

After watching Starfire finish Robin's sentence, Cyborg grinned and turned to Beast Boy, "You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" he asked.

Beast Boy smirked, "Ar-Stay and Obin-Ray on Erris Wheel-Fay?" he spoke loudly, before being quickly silenced by Cyborg. Robin eyed the two with curiosity; he could have sworn he heard his and Starfire's names in pig Latin. Furrowing her eyebrows, Starfire seemed greatly confused by this language she had never heard before. Slightly amused in her own way, Raven just shook her head.

"Anyway... Let's eat!" Cyborg changed the subject, grabbing some sandwiches and tossing them into his mouth. Still hungry due to over exertion, Robin wished he could do the same, but seeing as how it was normal behavior for Cyborg and atypical for him, he didn't want to get strange stares again like at breakfast. Looking over the food, which was your typical picnic fare, Robin didn't care what was vegetarian and what wasn't; he just wanted to eat. Picking up a sandwich, Robin attempted to eat it as he normally would were he not overcome by hunger.

Starfire filled a plate with many different items one wouldn't expect to find in a salad, "Pass the mustard please." she said with a grin. Beast Boy, though often one to eat strange things, grimaced at the thought of yellow mustard on salad but passed the bottle over anyway. Robin smirked, always wondering about Starfire's fascination with mustard, but he saw it as one of her cute little quirks; one of the many reasons he found her so charming.

Examining the food, Raven noticed that the things Beast Boy was eating weren't getting much attention by the others; for reasons outside of her comprehension, she decided to give it a try. As she reached for the food, everyone, including Beast Boy, gave her a strange look.

"Uh... Raven. That's BB's stuff. There could be tofu in there for all you know." Cyborg attempted to warn her.

Raven shrugged, "Can't always have meat." she said, taking a bite of an unrecognizable item of food which had been skewered by a toothpick. As she chewed, Raven seemed to be thinking intently over the taste, "...Not bad." she said, finishing it off.

"Really?" Beast Boy asked, eyes sparkling with the joy of acceptance, "I made other stuff too if you want any." he said with a grin.

"I said it wasn't bad. I didn't say I wou--" seeing Beast Boy's expression falter, Raven sighed with slight exasperation and a feeling of guilt, "Pass me another..."

Robin laughed under his breath. Aside from that little discrepancy, everything was normal; it made him feel like that incident with Grey was just a nightmare. And being here with Starfire and the others, without a care present, made the training seem like the nightmare's slightly less unnerving continuity; something he could wake up from every morning almost as though it had never happened. He had forgotten how much fun it was to simply spend time with his friends. They all seemed to just be having a great time, oblivious to the things Robin had seen and heard... it was better for them. Robin didn't want anything to change because of this. Starfire... she was the reason they had all met; the reason the Titans had formed in the first place. He shuddered to think of what would happen if she wasn't around; in so many ways, she seemed to be the one who held the group together. Without everything she offered, the team would surely fall apart... _he_ would fall apart. For things to stay just like this was all he wanted for his friends. What he wanted for himself... he considered to be far too selfish to be reasonable.

- - - - - -

The sun had almost set completely, leaving a slight orange glow to linger on the clouds near the horizon. Ocean waves shifted about and crashed against the rocky shore of the island, sending their symphony through the open window along with a warm and gentle breeze. The plain white curtains danced around in the wind, uplifted by the warm currents of air. It was calm, quiet, and serene; perfect for what Robin had decided to take this extra time to do. After performing several cuts with his staff, Robin remembered something Tyrus had told him.

"Visualize your opponent..." he whispered to himself, knelt down as he held the staff at his side. Robin looked ahead, attempting to imagine a figure positioned at a certain distance from himself. Once he fleshed out the distance in his mind, he noticed that all he could think of for an opponent was a pair of piercing gray eyes... _one_ of which he had seen on someone other than Grey. The two were very similar... the same threats, the same piercing stare. But thinking about it now, if it was at all possible, Grey seemed stronger, and far more threatening than... "Right." Robin took one step forward as he drew the staff from its position at his side. Before he could make a cut, Robin heard his door slide open which caused his stance to falter, making him fall flat on his face.

"Robin, we are--Robin?" Starfire immediately rushed into the room to check on Robin who she had seen fall over right in front of her, "What has happened?" she asked, watching him attempt to stand up.

"Mphmrm..." he started, his voice muffled by the carpeted floor. Robin pulled his face away from the carpet and stood up completely, facing Starfire, "I was just... practicing." he said nervously, scratching the back of his neck. Robin retracted his staff and placed it back in his belt.

"Oh." Starfire looked guilty, "Forgive me. I must have distracted you."

If ever there was a more welcome distraction. "No, not at all." Robin shook his head, "I was just about to stop anyway." he said, giving her a smile of reassurance.

Starfire just smiled in return; he was always so kind to her, even when she knew she had done something to interrupt him. "We are all ready to go." Starfire kept her eyes on Robin as they began walking to the doorway, "The sun has set. I am sure that it will not be long before the fireworks are displayed."

"Star--"

"Robin."

Both spoke in unison as the same thought came to their minds. "Sorry... You can go first." Robin chuckled, figuring he had plenty of time left to ask her what he was planning on.

"Thank you." Starfire smiled, "Well, if it is not too much trouble... I..." she felt strange, wondering why she found it so hard to ask him now when they had decided to go the previous time without a second thought. Hidden love caused so many complications and made everything much harder to say... it was present for her back then, but not fully realized until recently. Starfire took a deep breath, "Before the fireworks... will you accompany me on the _turning wheel_...?" she asked.

Almost tripping over his own feet, Robin just continued walking for a moment in a state of shock. "Yeah--I will." he said quickly, still quite surprised. She had wanted the exact same thing he did... well, as far as being on the Ferris Wheel to watch the fireworks, but that was more than enough for him.

"Really?" Starfire asked, a sparkle of hope in her eyes, trying to convince herself that she was not simply hearing things.

"Of course." Robin replied, _'Did she think I would say no?'_ he wondered. To reassure her, he decided he should tell her what he was going to say back there, "Actually, I was about to ask you the same thing." he said, almost expecting someone to interrupt him before he could finish.

Starfire felt her heart flutter; even if it was merely a gesture of friendship, she couldn't help but let that glorious feeling of warmth overtake her being. _'Can you not see it in his eyes? He smiles for you.'_ she thought uncontrollably, causing a surge of blush to rush to her face. Simply overjoyed to hear that from him, Starfire lifted her feet from the ground and floated the rest of the way to the living room, her face adorned by the most jubilant of expressions.

Robin watched Starfire float away, _'Wow... I knew she liked fireworks, but...'_ his thought trailed away as he exited the corridor. He shook his head; now was another opportunity to show Starfire something memorable. The last time they had gone to the amusement park, their time was cut short thanks to Blackfire and the Centauri police who chased her. _'I won't let anything ruin this for her.' _he thought... but if something did happen, he wondered how it would even be possible to avoid it. Robin entered the living room in time to see the others already making their way out the main doors.

"Hehe. I'm in the mood to win some prizes!" Beast Boy said, cracking his knuckles as he walked into the elevator with Cyborg and Raven.

Cyborg smirked competitively, "Not if I win them first." he gloated.

"Just... no chickens this time, okay?" Raven pleaded monotonously, her eyebrow twitching.

"Alright..." Beast Boy scratched his forehead in thought, "I'm sure they've got unicorns, puppies, giant teddy bears, or--"

"Chickens... will be fine." Raven cut in as Robin and Starfire joined the group in the elevator.

- - - - - -

Like shimmering jewels suspended across the empty black, countless tiny pinpoints of bright light decorated the clear night sky by the coast; a luminous banner of stars. Usually on a night like this, the ocean would seem to disappear and fade away at the horizon. But with all the shades of light cast down from beyond the heavens, there was certainly a clear distinction between sea and sky. Though much cooler by the ocean, the air was still warm due to the intense daylight's lingering affects. The breeze was balmy but strong, helping to push good sized waves across the surface of the water; waves which crashed gently against the shoreline.

Viewed from afar, the brightly lit amusement park seemed in stark contrast to the sky. However, from within, it was almost vivid enough to outshine the heavens. Its most prominent feature was the massive Ferris Wheel which reached the height of its turn far above the other attractions; the perfect place to see the stars and the promised light show. A sizable crowd had gathered this night, spread about the amusement park. Ironically, at a time like this, the crowd seemed to pay little attention to the Titans, aside from a few turned heads and children asking their parents, "Is that them?" Perhaps this was because the people were considerate enough to not interrupt them while they were having fun... or because the people were having too much fun to interrupt them. No matter what the reason, the Titans were simply glad to be left relatively out of attention's way.

Beast Boy stared straight forward, pure intention and unhindered focus painted across his face. Breathing in deeply, he squinted his eyes at his target in the distance. Clenching the metal ring in his hand, he let all but the objective fade from his sight. Taking a few steps backward, he brought the ring up in front of his face and stared through it to sharpen his aim. Watching from the sidelines, Cyborg tapped his foot impatiently, knowing that this was all just for show; Beast Boy could have thrown the ring whenever he wanted. Raven, unsure of why she even came, had simply been hanging around Beast Boy and Cyborg the entire time. She thought Beast Boy's pre-throw ritual was both annoying and... kinda funny.

Beast Boy pulled his arm backward, "Now!" he shouted, hurling the ring through the air and into the booth with a perfect horizontal spin on it. Catching a light on its metallic gold surface, the ring neared the mouth of a blue glass bottle marked, _'1st'_, "Come on, come on." Beast Boy quickly encouraged it. "Yes!" he exclaimed as it caught itself around the bottle's neck; however, the spin he had applied to his throw caused the ring to lift itself off the bottle and fly away in another direction, "No!" he yelled. Luckily, the ring landed around the neck of another bottle where it came to a quick stop.

"Second prize!" said the man behind the counter enthusiastically. Walking over to the prize table, he picked up a stuffed animal and handed it over to Beast Boy. Grudgingly accepting the prize, Beast Boy examined the toy; it was a medium-sized green octopus with big goofy eyes.

"Ironic." commented Cyborg.

Beast Boy turned to Raven, "It's no giant chicken..." he said, handing the animal to her.

Taking the toy, Raven looked at Beast Boy curiously, "Why are you giving this to me?" she asked.

Beast Boy's expression suddenly changed, "Well... I--" he began.

"Whoa!" Cyborg's jaw suddenly dropped to the ground as he turned his attention to another booth.

"Huh? What is it?" Beast Boy turned around, letting his jaw drop to the floor as he saw it.

"Gamestation 3!" they shouted in unison as they stared in awe at the grand prize of the booth across the way. Neither cared what kind of contest it was, nor how much money they would lose trying to win. Without saying another word, both rushed off, keeping their eyes on the prize, leaving Raven alone with the stuffed animal.

Raven looked down at the green octopus in her hands which squeaked as she accidentally squeezed it. The look of the toy reminded her of something. She wanted to set it down somewhere, but for some reason she felt obligated to keep it. Sighing, Raven kept hold of the animal and followed after Cyborg and Beast Boy.

- - - - - -

Weaving their way through the crowds, Robin and Starfire began walking away from the snack stands, food in hand. He felt guilty for wasting time, but after eating such a small lunch earlier, Robin found that his hunger was not quite satiated. However, he realized wasted time didn't really matter, as long as they were on that Ferris Wheel before the fireworks started. Though Robin felt as though he was at fault, Starfire had been the one who suggested going to get food; little did he know, this was because she noticed that slight weakness to his step... she had kept notice ever since that morning. It worried her, though she knew it was just his need to be stronger; she respected that... but it seemed too much for a human to take.

Tossing a wrapper into a nearby trashcan, Robin continued walking beside Starfire, "Thanks Star. I guess I was still kinda hungry." he said, taking notice of the Ferris Wheel in the distance.

Starfire plucked off a piece of the cotton candy she held and tossed it in her mouth, letting it vanish. "It is truly no trouble." she held out the candy to Robin, "Cotton candy?" she asked with a sweet smile.

Robin took a small piece, "Thanks." he chuckled, remembering what Starfire thought of that candy the first time she saw it. Robin looked up to the sky; even amidst the bright lights of the amusement park, the stars could be seen clearly. "It's getting pretty dark, you wanna--" he stopped as two people, only one of which he recognized, came into view directly in front of them. Starfire turned her attention to the boy and girl standing there as well; one she knew as Kathryn, and the other came as merely a vague recollection. Kathryn and Alex, off work for once, seemed to be enjoying the amusement park along with everyone else... Unfortunately, Robin and Starfire didn't see it this way.

"You..." all four spoke in unison, tones of anger and surprise mixed in.

Starfire's eyes began to glow as she looked at the girl who stood in front of her, remembering the shameless attempt on Robin she had made. Robin narrowed his eyes at Alex, unable to forget that little incident at the theater. Both were too busy to notice what the other was doing. Kathryn and Alex merely trembled in place.

Ready to tell the guy off once and for all, Robin lifted a finger to point at him, "I--" he started.

Looking for a quick way out, Kathryn grabbed Alex's arm and pulled him right up next to her, "Can't you see we're together!" she shouted, rushing past Robin and Starfire with Alex in tow.

As soon as they got far enough away, Alex turned to Kathryn, "Together... Really?" he asked as they continued on their way.

"Oh, shut up." responded Kathryn, nudging him.

Robin and Starfire just stood still for a moment, watching as the two disappeared into a crowd. Inwardly, they were both glad that the person they found themselves so aggravated with had been taken... They had barely any idea who the other person was, and they didn't care... it was one less thing to worry about.

"...Anyway." Robin attempted to shift the attention away from that strange little interruption as he turned to look at the Ferris Wheel by the ocean, "We should probably get going if we want to see it from the Ferris Wheel." he said, trying not to sound like it was the entire point of going to the amusement park.

- - - - - -

Robin and Starfire were of course offered a free ride on the Ferris Wheel simply because of who they were. However, Robin couldn't accept this and paid them anyway. At the risk of seeming obvious, Robin opened the gate to the seats for Starfire, letting her go in first as the Ferris Wheel came to a stop; once again, he asked himself what he thought he was doing. Luckily for him, Starfire didn't seem to notice, taking her seat inside. Sitting down and closing the gate, Robin tried his best not to sit too close to her, again for the fear of being too obvious, though it proved difficult considering how little space there was. Starfire could be thanked for that; she had purposefully sat far from the end so Robin would have no choice but to be close to her... Guilt weighed heavily, but if that morning at the park proved anything to her, it was that Robin probably didn't mind it so much. Truer words were never spoken.

Both lost their balance as the Ferris Wheel quickly kicked into motion, moving slowly thereafter. Starfire had always been fascinated by the Ferris Wheel. Never had such a device been created on Tamaran. A large machine designed for the sole purpose of people's entertainment seemed a ridiculous notion; however, it was only after experiencing it, that one would find it far from ridiculous. It was quite exhilarating to reach the top and be so far from the ground without relying on flight. It made the heart race and the body tremble... Starfire looked to Robin, noticing it wasn't just the Ferris Wheel's turning that affected her this way. Starfire realized what a perfect moment it was; they were alone... no one else could hear them, and no one could possibly interrupt. Looking to the sky, she began going over things she could say in her mind, finding nothing, drawing a blank. There were just three words that kept appearing to her, but she knew they were the last things she should say. _'Why can you not speak when it matters?'_ she asked herself.

As their seat began ascending to the top, Robin stopped waiting on the fireworks for a moment. Looking to Starfire, he noticed that she seemed lost in her thoughts. The shimmering jewels of the night were catching their light in her eyes, causing them to sparkle more than usual. As the wheel continued turning, the warm breeze began waving gently through her cherry red hair; all the while, she continued to look at the stars, perhaps wishing upon them. He felt unworthy of being so close to someone so beautiful. It was how he always felt; like he didn't deserve to know her. It was frustrating for him... but at the same time, it was uplifting, because he _did _know her and she seemed to believe that he deserved this. She was kind, compassionate, and the most caring person he had ever known. Suddenly, a realization came to his mind, _'Caring...'_ he thought.

"Starfire?" he got her attention as their seat began moving downward. His thoughts seemed more vocal now than ever; some cheering him on, others telling him to shut his foolish trap.

"...Yes." she answered as quickly as possible, tearing herself away from her thoughts.

Robin noticed a boat out at sea, realizing he should speak now before the fireworks begin, "Over the past couple of days I... well, I've really gotten to know you better." he said simply. _'That's a start... keep going.'_ one voice of encouragement spoke up.

"And I you." responded Starfire, surprised and thankful that he had spoken first.

Robin felt his face heating up, wondering where he was taking this, "There's something... I've been meaning to tell you." he added, feeling as though he could hyperventilate. _'Shut up! That's too much!' _shouted anxiety.

_'What could he have to say?' _she wondered. Thousands of things were running through her mind, so many of which made her heart leap into her throat.

"I want you to know... that I care about you... a lot." Robin felt like he had just blown his cover by adding _'a lot'_ to the end. Quickly, he decided to add something else, "I know I've done things in the past... that would make you think otherwise..." he admitted, knowing full well that it was the truth, "But I really do care for you Star... more than anything or anyone I've ever known." he finished. Robin realized that what he added was equally, if not more obvious than _'a lot.' _But there was no turning back now; he had said it. It wasn't _'I love you,' _but it was damn close.

Starfire felt her heart beating in all sorts of directions as the Ferris Wheel began moving them upward again. A surge of heat rushed to her face as she found herself at a loss for words, trying to convince herself that she had not simply daydreamed those words. _'Kiss him... Hug him... Do something!' _she ordered herself. "Robin, I--" Starfire stopped as a loud whistle shot out from the horizon. A sparkling green light ascended from the ocean, leaving a luminescent trail as it reached its height. Immediately, it erupted into a brilliant sphere, showering thousands of green comets through the sky, before dissipating and giving way to a series of smaller explosions of light. It announced the beginning of the light show to everyone in the amusement park. "I wish to tell you something as well... but let us watch first." she said with a smile, turning her attention back to the sky. Starfire decided to hold what she wanted to say until they got back to the tower... where there was more room for a hug.

_'What did I just do...?' _Robin thought, feeling his hands shaking as he looked to the fireworks. He didn't know what Starfire was going to say after he let his mouth run away like that, but there were so many possibilities... some good, some too good to believe, and others... he didn't want to think about. For all he knew, his own stupidity could have just ruined everything...

Robin decided to enjoy this moment while it endured... in his mind, it could be the last one. Suddenly, the Ferris Wheel came to a complete stop with Robin and Starfire at the crest. A family was getting into a vacant seat at the bottom, giving the two plenty of time to watch the spectacle unfold high above in the heavens, and leaving certain thoughts to linger in their minds.

- - - - - -

The doors to the elevator slid open, revealing all the Titans, some looking more despondent than others. Cyborg and Beast Boy moped out of the elevator and into the common room, heading to the hallway without a word. Stepping next into the living room, Starfire seemed happier than ever, and Robin... was struck by so many different feelings, he didn't know which to display on his face. Lastly, Raven ambled out, hiding something behind her back.

Robin looked up to see Cyborg and Beast Boy sulking away, "Hey. Did you guys win anything?" he asked.

"I don't wanna talk about it." they answered in unison, disappearing into the hall.

Raven tried to sneak off, but felt a pair of eyes staring at her from behind. Turning around, she looked to Robin and Starfire who were staring at the green octopus she held in her arms. "What?" she questioned, not making eye contact with either of them, "It's none of your business... stop thinking about it." she said as something let out a loud squeak. Raven floated off to the hallway with the stuffed animal clenched angrily in one hand.

Robin scratched the back of his head, "Well... 'night Star!" he said, attempting to rush off. Ironically, he had faced so many dangerous things in his life without hesitation, but he would rather avoid this situation... Before he could go anywhere, he felt Starfire's strong grip take hold of his shoulder.

"Wait, Robin." she said seriously, turning him around to face her. It was now that Robin tensed up, pulling at his collar to relieve the stress. No words were coming to his mind; there was nothing he could say that would fix what he had done... And he was sure, with the seriousness in Starfire's voice, that it was bad news she was about to give him. Before he could curse himself further, Robin became locked in Starfire's arms. It was a hug he had never received from her before; it was strong and constricting as usual, but also warm, affectionate, and... loving? He never wanted to let go. Starfire spoke right into Robin's ear, making him shiver, "I care for you as well... very much." she said, strengthening the embrace, "Robin, you are my dearest friend." she finished, pulling away to look directly in his eyes. "Good night." she smiled, wanting to lean in and... but she figured she could do that later. Never letting that smile leave her face, Starfire let go and floated off to the hallway, leaving Robin dazed, confused, relieved, and... ecstatic.

Feeling light headed, Robin stayed in the same position for quite some time, tilting from one side to the other. In his mind, he was jumping for joy, but his face only managed to create a goofy expression. In a daze, he walked over to the couch and collapsed on the cushions. He hadn't ruined anything... it actually seemed as though he had done something right for once.

- - - - - -

An intense wind raged beyond the steel walls of the cavernous darkened room. Standing beside a large window, a tall man watched as powerful gales hurled about massive curls of water, slamming them furiously against the glass. As the storm pressed on, he narrowed his stony eyes, angered by the report he had just received. With an exhalation, he lifted his hand close to his masked face, "Iris... by the empath..." he spoke into a small communication device, "She's lost to us now." he continued, "I'll need you to maintain watch without her. If he speaks a single word to anyone... kill them all." he ordered bitterly.

"Yes." came several voices over the link at once.

Shutting off the communicator, Grey continued to glare out the window into what little moonlight managed to pass through the squall, "Soon... very soon, my dream will come to fruition." he spoke to himself. Unsheathing his katana, he held it up in front of his eyes, letting its perfect surface reflect the light. "Cross me boy... and my children will not be the only ones to tear down the walls." bringing the katana to his left, he quickly slashed it through the air, creating a perfect horizontal mark on the window, "You've not known true sorrow."

* * *

**Author's Note:** I'm very late with this one, and I really should apologize. I knew this would happen when school started up again; oh well, guess I'll have to put a little extra effort in.

Grey came back, by popular demand, if only for a tiny little scene; but I hope it offered a little more insight into his character. The last few chapters have been a little lacking in action, so this next one will bring some of that back without potentially ruining everything, so don't worry :P.

**Next Chapter Preview:** Beast Boy wants to proceed with the main plan by springing it on Robin and Starfire at the same time, but the Titans get a call early in the morning about a break-in at a research facility. Upon arriving at the destination, Robin faces off against one of his greatest foes. But what happens when Red X reveals his connection to The Tempest? Day 8, Part One: The Enemy of My Enemy.


	15. Day 8, Part 1: The Enemy of My Enemy

**10 Leisurely Days**

by Blue Ten

**Summary:**

Robin finds out that Starfire will be leaving for Tamaran in 10 days. Keeping his discovery a secret, he has a little over a week to give her a reason to stay. But when things keep getting in the way, will he even get the chance? RobxStar, BBxRae

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Teen Titans.

* * *

Day 8, Part One: The Enemy of My Enemy

Robin held the heavy bokken out with one hand as he rotated his wrist, attempting to keep himself from dropping it. By this time, having completed so many exercises, a burning sensation was coursing through every muscle he had used. He took this as a sign that he was getting stronger as a result of this training; the previous time, he had felt more pain than burning. As Tyrus motioned for him to stop, Robin rested against the bokken like a cane, looking across the room inquisitively.

"Good, good." said Tyrus, obviously tired at this early hour. "Now, since you were able to learn all the sets last time..." he started, hardly able to believe the words as he spoke them; such a thing seemed impossible, "You shouldn't have a problem going over them one more time. I want you to perform--in order--the Omori Ryu, Hasegawa Eishin Ryu, and... Okuiai again." he could barely stomach saying that last one; the highest set, _Okuiai_, were called _'secret iai'_ for a reason... and Robin had learned them with little difficulty. "Just to make sure you've got it all... figured out." he finished, sounding almost sarcastic.

"Sure." Robin nodded, centering himself and kneeling down to start. Robin knew he had Tyrus surprised with the speed he had learned those forms. However, it was no surprise to him; all that training back in Gotham City had beaten focus and discipline into him... almost literally.

Nearly half an hour passed. Robin had taken each of the kata slowly to show that he knew what he was doing; finally, he returned the wooden sword to his side and stood up fully. Once again, Tyrus stood dumbfounded in place, attempting not to look too surprised. Shaking himself out of his stupor, Tyrus looked to Robin, "Very good." he said, taking a few steps to the wall, looking over a collection of sharpened steel blades. "Let me remind you that this can be a lethal art form... Just wanted to make sure you knew that since you're planning on fighting someone... I wouldn't want to be an _accessory_ to anything." he eyed Robin curiously, raising an aged eyebrow.

"You won't be." Robin replied in a serious manner, never planning on doing too much damage to that man; just... enough damage.

"Lethal as they are, many of those cuts can be utilized defensively for blocking; keep that in mind." said Tyrus, picking up a wooden sword as he stepped away from the glass displays. "Alright, I'm sure you're eager to move on to Kenjutsu. But before that, I have a question for you."

"What is it?" Robin asked, slightly agitated though he realized he had plenty of time to answer a simple question.

"What's your goal in all this?" Tyrus leaned his weight on the sword, "Your reason for becoming stronger." he added.

Robin felt like he had answered this before, "I already told you--"

"Beyond that. What are you fighting for?"

Robin sighed; he had to be vague about this, "I'm fighting... to protect someone I care for." he said.

Tyrus nodded, "I see. Would you say it was your _dream_, to protect this person? To see no harm befall them?"

_'My dream...' _thought Robin, "You could say that." he put it simply. He realized that perhaps _'dream'_ would be a good way to describe it. Fighting crime could hardly be considered a dream; it brought far more frustration than fulfillment. But, seeing Starfire happy... made him happy.

"Then I hope you can accomplish this." Tyrus looked to his swords once again, thinking back, "I had a dream once..."

- - - - - -

The ebb and flow of the ocean was omnipresent outside the tower walls; calm and constant, its voice perpetuated the dream state. Through the open window came a steady humid wind. The air was warm, but carried with it the scent of precipitation; a light summer shower... or a thunderstorm. The continuous beeping of his alarm served to gradually pull Robin from the depths of his slumber; each consecutive beep becoming louder in his mind. With a groan, he reached across his bed and shut off the alarm without looking. Sitting up, Robin turned a tired eye to the window, surprised to find the skies completely overcast. It wasn't a thick layer of clouds, bright and illuminated by the rising sun around the horizon; however, this early in the morning, it was still quite dark, and the cloud cover only aided this.

Tossing his covers aside, Robin stood up and began stretching as he did the morning before. This time, his muscles were not quite as pained; however, he found that his body was just as, if not more, drained of energy. His stomach let out a low growl. With a weak arm, Robin placed a hand over his abdomen... this was no way to live. It seemed to be draining all the life from him, but it wouldn't be for much longer; it was all worth it, and the training was paying off. Thinking back to his battle with Grey, Robin now knew of many ways he could have avoided his various failures during that fight. He was sure that with a little more training, he'd have seen and learned enough to defeat him.

_'That's enough for now.' _he told himself. The sun had risen; it was time to forget about such things, time to focus on what was most important to him. Thinking about what happened last night, a smile came to Robin's expression. He felt strangely energized by the thought of it all, nearly able to forget about his fatigue. He had come close to telling Starfire exactly how he felt, and she wasn't turned away at all; in fact, she had returned his words, in an embrace he could still feel. _'You are my dearest friend.'_ the words still played in his ear like music, making his heart skip beats as he thought about it. She had used the word _'friend',_ which normally felt contrary to something more... but this seemed different... very different. He wouldn't get his hopes up; however, he knew that thanks to what she said, those three words didn't seem quite so far from his tongue anymore.

- - - - - -

Though cooler than yesterday's air, a warm breeze floated in through the window; something about it seemed to signify impending rain. The wind had awakened Starfire, though it wasn't quite as energizing as the sun, which was remarkably absent this morning. Without much of the sun's light to help her up, Starfire felt slightly more tired than usual. Pulling the blanket up to her shoulder, she hugged her pillow and attempted to take in a few more minutes of rest. However, Starfire found herself fully awakened as she thought about last night's events. Robin had said things she never thought she would hear from him. _'But I really do care for you Star... more than anything or anyone I've ever known.' _uncontrollably, she smiled as the thought came to her, torrents of blush rushing to her face. She couldn't help but cuddle closer to her pillow and imagine she was holding him again. That scene had been present in her dreams the entire night... only she dreamt that she had kissed him at the end. Starfire giggled out loud. Realizing how strange she was acting, Starfire sat up fully, feeling like she needed a good splash of water to her face.

Suddenly, Starfire felt a cool droplet of water against her cheek, followed by another, and another. The wind had picked up and began carrying tiny beads of rain in through the open window. Stepping off her bed, Starfire raced to the window, sliding it closed as she reached it. Resting her arms on the windowsill, she watched the droplets' frequency increase as they tapped against the glass. In the distance, a thunderstorm could be seen on the horizon; infrequent flashes of lightning illuminated the faraway clouds.

Feeling like that bit of rain was the perfect thing to knock her out of her stupor, Starfire shook her head at herself, _'He merely says that he cares for you, and you are acting as though he has asked you to be... the girlfriend...'_ she thought, squinting at the sea as the window became distorted by water. _'If you continue down this path... you will only hurt yourself.' _she warned. Starfire looked at her reflection in the window, _'Why would he feel more than friendship for **you**?' _she asked herself, _'You are alien to him. Acting against earth customs, always asking the annoying questions... You should be happy that you even have his friendship. It is plainly selfish to want more.' _she continued. Starfire shook her head once again, not at herself, but in an attempt to forcibly remove those doubts from her mind. Letting the doubts drift away, Starfire smiled in spite of them; she was far too happy to let it affect her.

- - - - - -

Holding her cloak tightly against herself, Raven shivered as she walked about the cold, enveloped in darkness. As dark as it was, she could see her breath as she exhaled, escaping her mouth in clouds of thin white mist. Her footsteps echoed surrealistically through the area, bouncing off into what appeared to be a pitch black infinity. Though she couldn't decipher her reason for being in this place, Raven continued forward, feeling as though there was some destination to be reached. The farther she progressed, a chilling resonance of sound became more prominent; the sorrowful cries of children... hundreds of them. Raven attempted to disregard the sounds, though they seemed to grate on her mind. A single white light could be seen in the distance; supposing this was her destination, Raven traversed through the echo of cries which saturated the air.

Approaching the light, Raven found it to be a small starlike object, shimmering like a jewel in the darkness. Suddenly, the children's cries immediately stopped, save for one, the voice of a young girl.

_'I-I don't want this.'_

_'Let me go.'_

_'Please...'_

Raven heard sadness in the voice, like someone lost and trapped within the darkness, pleading for escape. The voice emanated from the source of light. Without thought, she reached out her hand toward the object. As soon as she touched it, her mind was assaulted by images... memories. _Several dark figures approaching from the streets at night, one whose eyes were gray like stone; a bright light, and cold air; fear, as new sight was given; and finally... strange eyes staring into the mind, then nothing._

Shocked out of her trance, Raven pulled her hand away from the light. Frightened and unwilling to remain in this place any longer, she turned around and began running blindly through the chilling darkness. The cries of the children began to echo once again, now louder than ever. Overwhelmed, Raven stopped and began frantically searching all around herself for a way out. She immediately came to a shocked halt as she found herself staring into a pair of jade green eyes. They were not frightening, but childlike, and innocent.

_"Who are you?"_ asked Raven. The figure remained stationary, however she could see the confusing thoughts which permeated through this person's mind...

_"I'm trapped, and so are they..." _Raven was surprised to hear her own voice answer.

- - - - - -

Sitting up quickly in her bed, Raven broke from her dreams, the sound of rain tapping gently against her window bringing her slowly back to reality. With an angry sigh, she placed a hand on her forehead and closed her eyes. She breathed deeply for a moment, not feeling entirely like herself.

"I thought you had left... but you linger... always there... always following!" she babbled nonsensically. Realizing how she was speaking, Raven immediately shook her head and looked around her room. On a shelf across from her bed sat the stuffed animal Beast Boy had given to her, its goofy eyes staring; an odd contrast to the grim decor. Groaning, Raven enveloped it in her energy and turned it around so it was no longer facing her. She figured that perhaps it was all simply a dream; a manifestation of her own thoughts, unable to let go of those vivid images, though the presence she encountered that night had been completely detached from her mind.

Stepping down from her bed, Raven walked over to a mirror which rested against the wall atop a waist-high shelf. On the counter was a bowl of water; dipping her hands into the bowl, Raven splashed her face, allowing the shock to further convince herself of her awakening. Picking up a small hand-towel, Raven wiped her face dry and looked into the reflection... _'Nothing... it was just a dream.' _she thought, setting the towel down beside the bowl. Oddly enough, she felt like telling someone about it. Not Robin, with whom she shared a psychic bond, not Starfire, who would most assuredly listen, and not even Cyborg, who seemed to be the most understanding when he needed to be... but Beast Boy... of all people. To see that look of concern on his face... to hear the consolation in his voice made her feel... something.

Raven slammed a hand against the shelf, _'Stop it!' _she ordered herself in thought. No matter how she... felt, she wasn't going to tell anyone about this; it may have just been a dream, but it was her dream, and her battle to confront.

- - - - - -

The living room was dimly lit due to the cloud cover just outside the windows. Light droplets of rain which carried themselves gently down from the clouds through the warm air, tapped quietly against the glass, creating a peaceful ambiance. With a yawn, Robin stepped out of the hallway and into the common room, surprised to find everyone awake so early. Searching through the cupboards, Cyborg was in the kitchen, just beginning to start breakfast. Seemingly thinking about something with atypical intent, Beast Boy sat on the couch, a hand placed firmly on his chin. Raven hovered just beside the rain-spotted window, eyes closed, meditating as usual. Starfire... was now standing right next to Robin, a spectacular smile on her face.

Starfire stood by his side for a moment, her expression describing the pinnacle of cute, "Good morning... _Robin_." she said, gingerly placing a hand on his arm.

Robin's heart nearly stopped as he was met with Starfire's gesture, "Morning." he said quickly. Hoping Starfire wouldn't notice, Robin searched for something to turn attention away from his increasingly red face, "B-Breakfast?" he asked, pointing to the kitchen table. Ironically, even after he was able to tell Starfire that he cared for her, he found that he was still made blushful by even the slightest touch... he imagined saying "I love you" wouldn't be any different.

Starfire took her hand away and smiled with her eyes closed, "Breakfast sounds wonderful." she said jubilantly. "Come, surely you are famished." Starfire took hold of Robin's hand, leading him off to the table where they would wait for Cyborg to finish.

Robin and Starfire sat still for a moment in their adjacent seats, absentmindedly staring at each other, quickly breaking glances as soon as they noticed. "Robin I--" Starfire started, wanting to talk to him about certain things; after what he told her that night, she figured it would be easy, "I am wondering if it will stop raining today..." but it seemed harder than ever now. Starfire smiled as Robin told her the rain was probably just a little shower; breakfast, with all the others in the room, didn't seem like the right time or place to discuss such things anyway.

Coming to a decision, Beast Boy nodded to himself with a serious expression. Standing up from the couch, he walked over to Raven who didn't seem to notice his approach, "Raven." he called, tapping on her shoulder.

Suddenly, Raven grabbed Beast Boy's hand rather tightly and glared at him with anger in her eyes, "Remember what I told you **not** to do?" she questioned in a menacing but restrained tone. Realizing what she was doing, Raven saw the pained expression on Beast Boy's face and felt her heart sink, "I-I mean... what?" she asked, releasing his hand.

"Hehe, sorry..." Beast Boy chuckled sheepishly, shaking his hand off. Seeing this, Raven was glad she hadn't broken anything... even though Beast Boy should know better than to interrupt her during meditation.

_'Doesn't exploding like that defeat the purpose of meditation? Shouldn't **you **know better?' _she questioned herself. She had been somewhat on edge since her dream that morning... but she couldn't make any excuses for herself.

Hearing approaching footsteps, Beast Boy turned around, "Hey, Cyborg--"

"Look, I'm just stepping away for a minute." Cyborg held up his arms defensively, "Don't worry, you'll get your..." he trailed off, shuddering, "Tofu bacon."

"That's not what I meant." Beast Boy explained, "I was thinking, since it happens tomorrow night, we should tell them now." he pointed to the kitchen table where both Robin and Starfire were blushing madly. "Y'know, give them time to get ready." Beast Boy finished with a grin.

"Good idea, but... who's gonna tell Robin?" Cyborg asked, unable to see Robin going willingly.

"We'll tell them both at once." Beast Boy held up a finger, "Robin won't be able to say no when he sees the look on Starfire's face."

"Yeah." Cyborg chuckled, beginning to walk alongside Beast Boy to the kitchen.

Before moving too far, Beast Boy came to a stop and turned around to face Raven, "Come on Raven, you promised to stick with the plan 'til the end." he crossed his arms.

"...No I didn't--Hey!" she exclaimed as Beast Boy took hold of her hand and began pulling her along, grinning. Oddly enough, she didn't protest.

Beast Boy rested his hands on one end of the table, "Hey, we've got something we know you're gonna _love_." he smirked at Robin and Starfire.

Robin's eyebrow began to twitch at the interruption, "What is--" he started, immediately interrupted by the alarm. "It'll have to wait." he said, feeling like letting his face fall to the tabletop. All disappointed, the Titans walked over to the large screen to see where they would be going; what appeared on the display was both surprising and unwelcome. Simply from the location and the nature of the crime, the Titans knew there could be only one person interested in stealing from such a place.

"That's never good." Cyborg commented.

- - - - - -

The clouds, slightly heavier on this end of the city, obstructed the early morning sun as they let loose their drizzle. The winds remained calm and restrained, gently pushing along the warm air. A large gray facility by the coast was well isolated from the rest of the city by a dense forest of tall green trees. On the roof of one of the buildings was a good sized hole, obviously caused by a small explosion; evidence of a break in, which was also made clear by the constant blaring of alarms.

Inside the building in a room used for chemical research, a figure in a black suit began moving toward his prize, his dark cape rustling as he walked. With his height and build, the figure was obviously a young man no older than the Boy Wonder. Young as he appeared, the boy's actions upon entry into the facility demonstrated a certain know-how... a professionalism in the art of thievery, even if he did trip the alarm. Perfectly concealing his identity, the boy wore a rather unnerving mask which would scare most little children away at the mere sight of it. The mask was black like the rest of his costume, except for the face which looked something like a skull with no bottom jaw. The eye holes were two narrowed slits which revealed nothing of the eyes beneath the mask. On his forehead was emblazoned a red 'x' with one slash extended.

Gently picking up a cylindrical steel case from one of the tables, Red X carefully twisted open the top, satisfied to see what he was looking for inside; ten vials of liquid arranged in a circle around the interior of the case, held in place by protective foam. Shutting the case, he turned to several armored guards resting against the wall who were bound by a strange red substance, struggling against their bonds, "Hope you don't mind if I take this." he said, holding up the case, his voice distorted mechanically by the mask. The guards, whose mouths were also covered by the substance, simply spoke muffled protests. Red X smirked under his mask; turning to the hole in the roof, he prepared to make his escape.

"You were just borrowing that, weren't you?" Beast Boy chimed in as the Titans busted through the doors. Oddly enough, this was Robin's usual place for a comment... however, Robin simply wanted to get this over with.

"I thought you guys would show up." Red X narrowed his eyes, taking a step backward.

"We're gonna need you to hand over the Xenothium." said Robin who stepped forward from his place at the front of the team.

"Not gonna happen." replied Red X, holding the container close to his side.

Taking out his staff, Robin held it ready. Floating above the group with her eyes already glowing, Starfire imbued her hands with energy. Cyborg followed suit by charging up his sonic cannon. Stretching out his muscles in preparation, Beast Boy morphed into a tiger and let out a low growl. Raven, not one to show off, simply eyed the area for things she could use during battle.

"Then you know what that means, don't you?" Robin asked rhetorically.

"Oh yeah." responded X, sounding almost enthusiastic. Keeping hold of the container, he held out one hand, and with the flick of his fingers, motioned for the Titans to come.

"Titans, Go!"

Leaping into the fray first, Beast Boy extended his claws, attempting to pounce on Red X. Ducking under Beast Boy's grasp, the masked thief delivered a powerful punch to the tiger's abdomen, causing Beast Boy to shift back to human form. Winded, the changeling remained propped up on Red X's fist; grabbing Beast Boy by the legs, Red X whipped him around and tossed him through the air at the others. Robin ducked under Beast Boy, who was then caught by Cyborg and Raven, knocking them over in the process.

"Sorry kids, I don't have time for games today." said X, taking a few steps backward.

Standing up, Raven's eyes glowed red under her cloak, "Good..." she started, focusing her energy on a large generator near the wall, "Because we're not playing." she finished. Literally tearing the generator away from the wall, Raven hurled it across the room at her opponent. Caught off guard, Red X was struck by the full force of the impact, sending him flying across the room where he and the generator crashed against the wall, denting the metal.

"Whoa... nice." commented Beast Boy as he stood up, regaining his breath.

With a groan, Red X pushed the generator away from himself and held a hand on his head. Realizing he had dropped the container, he quickly searched the ground for it. Locating the case, Red X held it securely; standing up, he attempted to regain his balance after that attack, _'I have to finish this now.' _he thought. Deciding on process of elimination, Red X aimed a hand at Beast Boy who was still recovering by the wall; from the palm of his hand came a large 'x' shaped substance which propelled itself at Beast Boy.

Without time to react, Beast Boy was slammed against and stuck to the wall by the red adhesive; morphing into a snake, he attempted to escape but found that the substance merely conformed to his shape. Giving up, he shifted back to human form, knowing the battle was up to the others now.

Without thinking, Raven ran up to a surprised Beast Boy and began pulling at the red bonds. Unfortunately, Raven was then caught from behind by more of the same strange adhesive, slamming her up against the wall, face to face with Beast Boy. "Don't. Say. Anything." she ordered bitterly as she avoided his eyes.

Knowing there wasn't much they could do, Robin, Starfire, and Cyborg turned their attention back to Red X as they charged into battle. Starfire started by throwing starbolts to direct him away from his escape route. Swinging his staff, Robin managed to sweep Red X's feet from the ground; keeping hold of the container, X merely landed on his free hand and acrobatically propelled himself over a table, landing feet first on the other side. Attempting to make a break for the doors, he became blocked by Cyborg.

"Sorry, exit's closed." Cyborg smirked, aiming his cannon. Before Cyborg could fire, Red X held out the steel container in front of his cannon, causing the cybernetic Titan to shift his aim around, knowing how unstable Xenothium was. Cyborg growled as X simply moved the steel case before his aim every time he thought he had a good shot. Seeing his opening, X quickly placed a hand on the barrel of the cannon and sealed it with that red substance. "Ah, man." Cyborg put away his cannon and began throwing punches toward his enemy. Though he managed to land a few good strikes, Cyborg quickly found himself restrained by X's trademark red ropes, falling to the ground as he struggled.

"Heh, three down..." Red X looked to Robin and Starfire who were now charging from across the room. Approaching first, Starfire began to throw her starbolts at him.

"Starfire wait, you could hit the Xenothium!" Robin called as he continued.

Starfire nodded and let go of her energy, landing on the ground in front of X. Eyes glowing with righteous fury, she began to fight X hand to hand; of course, he could not match her strength and simply attempted to dodge each strike as he was backed up toward a wall. As his back met the wall, Red X saw a punch coming from Starfire and, a short way behind her, Robin about to jump over a table. Quickly, he ducked under the punch and ran behind Starfire, causing her to strike the metal wall, creating a heavy dent and hurting herself in the process. While Starfire was distracted, X kicked one end of the table, causing it to stand up; with all his might, he shoved it forward, which pushed Robin up against the opposing wall, now trapped behind the table. As soon as Starfire turned around, Red X aimed a hand at her and quickly glued her to the wall with the same substance Beast Boy and Raven were subject to.

A slight chuckle could be heard from Red X as Starfire struggled against the bonds. Walking up to Starfire, X placed a hand under her chin, "I may not have time for games, but I always have time for _you_." he flirted. In response, Starfire charged up her eye lasers and blasted at him with an angry growl; X dodged, just barely, seeming shaken after he was almost hit. Feeling a tap on his shoulder, Red X turned around to be met by Robin's fist.

"Something tells me she doesn't like you that way." he said, watching as X fell to the floor, immediately regaining his balance and keeping hold of the container. Starfire seemed very surprised by Robin's statement; if she had not been stuck to the wall, she would have smiled.

"I'd love to stick around, but I've got bigger things to worry about." seeing Robin take out his staff once again, Red X quickly ran forward and leapt as Robin swung. Landing on the staff, X looked down at Robin, "Thanks for the lift." he said, propelling himself toward the ceiling, "Later kid." Robin looked up to see that X had led them back to the hole in the roof; a few droplets of rain fell through as the thief had already disappeared.

Robin looked to the others, "I'm going after him." he said, stepping up onto the closest table, "Star, you guys gonna be alright?" he asked.

"Yes, do not worry about us, we will be fine." said Starfire, still trying to move her arms under the surprisingly strong substance.

"Speak for yourself." Raven commented with her eyebrow twitching. On the floor somewhere, Cyborg could be heard attempting to hold back hysterical laughter.

"Alright." Robin nodded seriously, jumping up through the escape.

- - - - - -

On the rooftops it was clear that the rain was much heavier than before, now making heavy and audible taps against the asphalt roofing. The droplets did well to impede Robin's sight as he searched the other rooftops for Red X; it was made especially difficult now that the sun had broken through some of the cloud cover, brightly illuminating many of the falling droplets. However, if there was anything that stood out in the sun, it was a dark costume. Just a few rooftops over, Robin saw Red X leaping across a gap, making his way to the forest.

"Made it." said X as he landed on the last rooftop before the forest. Before he could go anywhere, the thief found himself tackled from the side by Robin. Dropping the container, X rolled across the roof, catching himself before he could fall over the edge.

"You're not going anywhere." Robin pointed at him.

Red X stood up, keeping an eye on the Xenothium which remained nearly an equal distance between them near the edge of the roof, "Come on, you know we're equally matched." he spoke up over the sound of the tapping rain.

"Then you're in for a surprise." Robin took out his staff and held it at his side, "It's your move." he said, holding his position. Narrowing his eyes, Red X began to charge, knowing it would be foolish to go for the Xenothium. Robin watched carefully, drowning out the tapping of the rain, focusing only on Red X's feet as they approached, _'Distance...' _he thought. With a single tap of X's foot against the roof, Robin drew his staff, "Now!" he said out loud. Too quick for X to notice, Robin pulled to the left and slashed his staff horizontally through the air, hitting him directly in the stomach.

Red X doubled over and fell to the rain soaked asphalt, "That move... just like..." he groaned, trying to stand up.

Retracting his staff and placing it back in his belt, Robin walked over to the container and picked it up, "I'll be taking this back to the building..." he said. Making his way back to X, Robin pulled him up by the collar, "And you... you're going away for a while."

"I thought about getting myself caught... just to get away, but bars won't stop them... nothing stops them." said X, confusing Robin a bit.

Robin raised an eyebrow, "Them?" he questioned, hearing an answer in the back of his mind.

"They call themselves... _The Tempest_." he grimaced under his mask at the name. Immediately, Robin dropped Red X to the ground.

Standing up, Red X held on to his side, too winded to attempt an escape, "I take it you've heard of them?" he asked.

"We had a run-in..." Robin absentmindedly placed a hand over the scar on his abdomen, "They're after you?"

"They gave me an ultimatum; join or die." Red X answered seriously, "I don't take orders or threats from anyone, so I chose to fight. That's why I need that Xenothium." he pointed to the case under Robin's arm, "Without it, this suit is just a costume and I'll have no chance against them." X readied a weak fighting stance, "So I'm taking it back... one way or another."

Robin simply stood in shock. He now had a choice; he could hand over the Xenothium and let one of his greatest enemies go, or return it and possibly jeopardize someone's life... There really was no choice; a life is a life... even if it was a criminal like Red X, it was blood he didn't want on his conscience. With an angered sigh, Robin opened the top to the case and pulled out a single vial, tossing it over to X who caught it with ease, "There." he said.

"I can't say I'm not surprised but, just one vial...?" said X, examining the liquid through the glass. "What do you think those scientists were using a volatile compound like Xenothium for? Not to help people, I'll tell you that." he stated gravely.

Reluctantly, Robin pulled out another vial and tossed it over to Red X, "Now get out of here." he spoke through his teeth.

Red X held the two vials between his fingers, "Heh, Thanks kid." he said, turning around to face the forest, "I owe you one. Maybe I'll give them a little extra trouble." with that, he leapt from the roof and disappeared quickly into the forest.

Robin just waited for a moment, standing still as the rain came to a stop and the clouds parted to reveal the bright sun. He had just let a criminal go... and he didn't feel bad about it at all.

- - - - - -

Robin dropped back down through the hole in the roof to find Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven attempting to pull away the substance which still held Starfire to the wall.

As the red adhesive was pulled away, Starfire stepped away from the wall, pulling some sticky pieces from herself, "Thank you friends." she said. Immediately, she turned to Robin and smiled, "You are victorious?" she asked.

Robin scratched the back of his neck, "Sorta... I managed to take back the Xenothium, but Red X got away with two vials." he said, trying to seem angry with himself.

"Worry not. It is still a victory." Starfire placed a hand on his shoulder.

Robin smiled, then noticed something out of the corner of his eye, "How did you two get free?" Robin asked Beast Boy and Raven.

Cyborg chuckled, "Raven forgot she could pass through walls." he blurted. Raven immediately glared at him, "What? ...You did."

- - - - - -

Just as it did the day before, the sun could be seen shining brightly through the main windows as the elevator doors opened. All the Titans walked in, but came to a stop when they noticed something strange. There was a peculiar scent emanating from the kitchen; something was burning.

With wide eyes, Cyborg rushed over to the stove and shut off the element, "My bacon!" he shouted, looking at the burnt black clumps which remained in the pan, "My poor bacon..."

Beast Boy walked up beside Cyborg and looked into the frying pan, "Heh, the tofu bacon looks fine." he said.

Cyborg turned his narrowed human eye to the side, "Not even the stove wanted it..." he commented. Behind them, Robin and Starfire had taken their seats back on the table, deciding to pick up where they left off.

Raven stepped between Cyborg and Beast Boy, "Weren't you going to tell them something?" she asked.

"Oh yeah!" Beast Boy smiled, turning around to rush to the table. Slamming his hands on one end, he grinned at both Robin and Starfire, "You guys are gonna love this..."

* * *

**Author's Note:** smiles evilly Hehe cliffhanger... sorta.

Sorry about the delay, but I have bronchitis (what I originally thought was the flu) and I haven't been able to actually be awake very long for the last week or so because of the medicine, let alone work on the fic much. I'm surprised I was actually able to finish it up today.

Red X was my favorite original character from the series, so I had a great time writing his parts. And hopefully I kept him in character :).

On another note, there are some reviews that just need to be responded to, but anonymous reviewers often don't leave e-mail addresses so I'm at a loss. Let's just say someone left a freakin' great review and I can't use the chapter to respond coughKazzycough So, if anonymous reviewers want responses, please leave an e-mail address in there if you've got one :). Don't worry, I'll only e-mail you in regards to your reviews.

**Next Chapter Preview:** Beast Boy's plan is finally revealed, and there were some things about it even the accomplices didn't know. Starfire seems to like the idea, but how does Robin feel about it? Day 8, Part Two: The Perfect Plan.


	16. Day 8, Part 2: The Perfect Plan

**10 Leisurely Days**

by Blue Ten

**Summary:**

Robin finds out that Starfire will be leaving for Tamaran in 10 days. Keeping his discovery a secret, he has a little over a week to give her a reason to stay. But when things keep getting in the way, will he even get the chance? RobxStar, BBxRae

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Teen Titans.

**Dedication:**

To everyone who has read and reviewed (see author's note for details :)

* * *

Day 8, Part Two: The Perfect Plan

"We are?" Robin asked in response to Beast Boy's statement that they would love what he was going to say. As he spoke, he began to impatiently tap his fingers on the tabletop; the last thing he wanted right now was another distraction... there were less than two days left until... However, Robin noticed that Starfire seemed interested, so he decided to listen as well; after all, the last time the others "distracted" them, it worked for the best.

"Yep." Beast Boy continued grinning. "Okay. So, every year the city holds this big celebration in honor of the _'heroes' _of Jump City." he started, "We've been free to go every time, but we're usually too busy. Thanks to the low crime level, we should be able to go this year, plus..." he trailed off, reaching behind his back, "This time we've been invited as the honorary guests!" he finished, pulling out five blue envelopes from behind his back and tossing them on the table for everyone to see. Spreading themselves across the tabletop, each envelope had one of the Titans' names hand-written on it.

"What?" asked Cyborg and Raven in unison, looking clueless.

"You failed to mention that little detail." Raven crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at Beast Boy.

"That's so cool!" Cyborg exclaimed, "--Wait, they're not gonna have us signing autographs are they?" he asked seriously.

"Nope, they just want us to be there tomorrow night. It's our party." Beast Boy smiled, glad to finally have both pairs of friends surprised as he had planned.

"Please, what manner of party is this?" Starfire asked, wondering what would take place at this party. She had mixed feelings about the other parties she had attended; the one Blackfire had taken them to was not a situation she wanted to repeat, and the prom... Thinking about it, Starfire realized that situation, though having its midway downsides, certainly ended happily enough.

"What kind of party?" Beast Boy smirked; now was the time to throw in the hook, "Oh, just the usual kind; food, music... dancing--"

"Dancing?" Starfire stood up from her seat enthusiastically. Suddenly, she was reminded of the prom, and the complete feeling of happiness she received from that one little dance. "Oh, what does one wear to such an event?" she asked, smiling endlessly at the thought of a chance to dance with Robin again.

"I guess _you _would want to wear a dress." said Raven, placing emphasis on _'you.'_

"I do not know if I have anything... I must go look!" with that, Starfire quickly floated off to the hallway, wondering if she had anything presentable stuffed away somewhere in her closet.

With an unreadable look on his face, Robin slowly stood up from the table. Keeping the same expression, he mysteriously walked past Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven, causing them to become paranoid; standing still, he simply stared into the hallway for a moment. After a while, Robin turned around to face the others; all three had unsure looks on their faces. Panicking, both Cyborg and Beast Boy pointed to Raven at the same time. With the collective finger pointed at her, Raven stood still, eyes narrowed, a large vein clearly pulsing on her temple.

Suddenly, Robin spoke, "Thanks." he said with a slight smile. The three shocked Titans felt like falling to floor in surprise and relief. They had expected Robin to go along because they knew Starfire would like the idea... never had they imagined he would like the idea too, let alone thank them for bringing it up.

"Um... You're welcome?" Beast Boy scratched the side of his head in confusion, wanting to make sure he was still in the same dimension as before.

Suddenly, Starfire floated out of the hallway with her arms hanging forward, looking remarkably disappointed. "I do not appear to have anything..." she said, thinking back to what she found in her closet; two dresses, one she had worn to the prom and another she took to the beach... neither seemed suitable for a party like the one Beast Boy described. She also wanted something new, something that would make Robin notice her. Glancing at Robin out of the corner of her eye, Starfire turned to face everyone, "Perhaps we could venture to the mall of shopping?" she asked hopefully, innocently tapping her index fingers together.

"Oh--Uh, yeah." Beast Boy agreed, finally getting over the shock of Robin's acceptance of the idea. "I'll need to find something too. Y'know, gotta look good just in case the _ladies _wanna dance." he said, grinning moronically, referring to his female "fans." Raven rolled her eyes in response to this, feeling a strange and unfamiliar emotion popping up inside.

"Tch. I'd like to see that happen when we go." Cyborg scoffed sarcastically, "We... are going, right?" he asked Robin, raising his eyebrow inquisitively.

As he thought about the things that would happen at the party... dancing in particular, Robin found that he was hardly paying attention. Quickly, he spoke up before the others could notice, "Of course. I think it's a great idea... I mean, how often do we get to do stuff like this?" he scratched the back of his neck, covering for himself. All he wanted was to give Starfire another great memory, and seeing as how she already liked the idea, the only thing he had to do was make sure nothing went wrong.

"That is wonderful!" Starfire exclaimed, flying over to Robin in order to smile closer. If she had gotten to dance with him at a party he didn't want to go to, she wondered what it would be like this time. "Surely you know more about this party than me. Will you help me find something suitable to wear?" she asked.

Robin thought about that for a moment. He didn't know if he would be any help; after all, he thought she looked beautiful in anything. "I... think Raven might be of more help to you." he answered truthfully, though he knew Raven wouldn't like the idea of shopping for dresses of all things. Starfire was not disappointed at all by this; secretly, she wanted to surprise Robin with what she would wear... just to see his reaction.

Raven glared at Robin for a moment, thinking about her least favorite thing to do at the mall. Elbowed in the side, she turned to Beast Boy who muttered _'Stick to the plan'_ under his breath. With an exasperated sigh, Raven looked back to Starfire, "Sure Starfire... I'll help you out." she said under direst.

"Oh, thank you friend!" Starfire exclaimed happily, "And in return, I shall help you pick out a dress." she smiled widely.

Raven's eyebrow began twitching, "I don't wear dresses..." she said plainly. Suddenly the smile disappeared from Starfire's face. "But I'll still help _you _find one." Raven added quickly, bringing the cheer back to her alien friend.

"Alright then, no time to waste." said Cyborg, taking out his keys as he began walking to the main doors, "I'm driving."

"Do you even _need_ to say that...?" asked Beast Boy.

- - - - - -

In stark contrast to that morning's atmosphere, the sun was now beaming brightly across a clear blue sky; the clouds had since been pushed away by the breeze. However, as a reminder of the earlier weather, the ground was soaked with a thin layer of rainwater. Small puddles dotted themselves across the large parking lot like lakes on a continent, turning the entire lot into a shining platinum mirror as the sun reflected its intense light across the saturated asphalt. The mall, as usual, was an ominous presence; never out of sight, it blocked the view of the city with its massive stature. Two stories tall, with a high ceiling to accommodate the skylight, it was one of the biggest buildings in the city, if not _the _biggest. Luckily for the Titans, the time of day and day of week allowed for a good selection of parking spots, and Cyborg had chosen one right next to the entrance.

Stepping out of the T-Car with the others, Robin was surprised to find himself in awe of a parking lot of all things. It wouldn't remain this way for long, but the sun was illuminating the rain-soaked ground from its position in the middle of the sky; even some of the cars in their parking spaces, spotted with droplets of rain, were shimmering as though they had been encrusted with jewels. It was all very odd, to think of such an urban area as scenic... but there it was. Robin took it as a sign that things were going to work out. Seeing the sun after a rainy morning always seemed to bring out his optimism. But it was more than the sun which caused him to feel this way; Starfire, as always, was his shining star... When it rained, when things seemed to take a turn for the worse, she was always there to shine her light. It saddened him to know that in such a short amount of time, she might be forced to leave... Like the sun reflecting against the ground, it seemed not long before she would simply disappear, leaving an empty barren area, void of the happiness and beauty that once shone so brightly upon it. Disgusted with his dispirited thoughts, Robin felt like punching himself for being so melodramatic. It was no time to be feeling sorry for himself; he knew that now every moment counted, so he wouldn't let himself spend a single one in despair.

Robin looked up to find the others already making their way to the mall's large glass doors; Starfire however, seemed to be waiting for him at the end of the group, her expression calling him over. Quickly catching up to the others, Robin began walking beside Starfire with a smile on his face. All doubts, any ounce of despair which clung to his thoughts, simply melted away when stood beside her, basking in that glorious light. His smile was true, uninterrupted by his previous despondent thoughts.

Like the rest of the building, the entrance was bluntly ostentatious, as though it were the threshold of some grand royal construct. A wall of large, tinted glass windows stretched up to the roof of the building and joined with the skylight, making its way over the building to the entrance on the opposing side. The actual doors themselves seemed modest next to this spectacle. Shaped like an enormous compass, direction kept intact, the mall had four public entrances, and the Titans were now making their way through the southern doors.

A burst of air rushed through the opening as Cyborg pulled the doors outward. As soon as the pressure allowed them to do so, all the Titans made their way into the south gallery. Many people were walking about the ground floor, but much less than the last time they had visited the mall; enough that the echo of footsteps could be heard remarkably present amidst the chatter of crowds. As many times as the Titans had been to this place, never could they take it upon themselves to memorize the positions of each individual store, especially since most seemed to change location upon every other visit. So, as they walked up the hallway, the walls of which were lined by various different stores, they had one destination in mind... the map, and the respite of the 'You Are Here' sign.

Positioned in the center of the building, at the meeting point of each hall, was the mall's most prominent, and probably most expensive feature, the water fountain. In that central area, was a large body of water contained within an immense white marble circle one could practically call a pool. At the heart of the fountain was a large display of tropical plants which stretched up midway to the ceiling. Tiny jets of water continuously spouted upward from the fountain toward this display. The sun, which beamed brightly through the glass ceiling, made the water sparkle and reflect wavering light up onto the palm trees.

The map was a large plastic plaque facing the southern entrance; on it was labeled every store in the entire building, numbered, named, and color coded respectively. Having never been to the mall to shop for clothes, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven began to examine the map for their unfamiliar destinations. While the others tried to locate the proper stores on the map, Starfire sat down on the edge of the fountain and looked into the water. Leaving the map reading to the others, Robin decided to sit next to her.

As she looked at the water, Starfire noticed a multitude of coins beneath the surface, shimmering copper and silver in the sunlight. Hearing a nearby splash, she saw someone finish tossing a coin into the water. Curiosity peaked, she turned to Robin, "Robin, why are they throwing away their money?" she asked; she had seen this before, but never quite understood why people did it.

Robin took his eyes off the wave-shattered light which was shining on Starfire from the water, "Oh, remember when you wished on the stars?" he asked, thinking fondly of that moment of pure complacence they shared.

Suddenly Starfire's face turned bright red, "Yes... I remember." she answered, smiling innocently, the most prominent recollection being that kiss she stole while he was sleeping.

Robin noticed the slight redness to Starfire's face and wondered what it could be regarding. "Well, this is pretty much the same thing. People throw coins into wells or fountains for luck, or to make wishes." he explained.

Glad to feel the blush disappearing, Starfire smiled, "Humans make many wishes, yes?" she inquired, thinking about how many other ways there must be to go about making a wish.

"I guess sometimes... they feel like they need it... y'know, a little extra hope." Robin clarified, realizing he could use a few good wishes.

"I see." Starfire smiled, another aspect of human culture made clear to her by the one person who always seemed willing to explain. Noticing something shimmering in the corner of her vision, Starfire looked to see a coin sitting right next to her. Giggling as an idea came to her, she picked it up and turned to Robin, "Shall we make a wish?" she asked sweetly, holding the coin between his hand and hers.

"Um... what?" Robin asked, feeling stupefied by her touch once again as he stared at their hands.

"If we throw the coin in at the same moment, we may share a wish, correct?"

"Oh, right. Okay." Robin gulped down a lump in his throat, nodding in response. Starfire positioned their hands securely between them. Finally calming down, Robin began to swing their arms back and forth to create a good throwing motion, "Okay. One, two... three." at that, both released their grip and watched as the coin flew out toward the water, catching the sunlight on its silvery surface. Splashing in the water, the coin landed very near to the center display.

"I suppose that makes our wishes twice as likely to come true." Starfire smiled, turning back to Robin, finding herself caught in his eyes... hidden as they were, for a while now she had felt as though she was able to see them.

Robin simply looked back at Starfire, "Yeah..." he agreed, taking in the serene moment; the sound of the water splashing peacefully on the surface, the sun bouncing its radiance about their faces, but mostly... those spectacular green eyes... like jewels.

"Hey, lovebirds!" Cyborg shouted toward Robin and Starfire, "We found a couple of good places." he continued. Robin turned his now tight neck to see Cyborg grinning immensely, Beast Boy attempting to hold back laughter, and Raven looking off to another direction, though a slight smirk could clearly be seen beneath her hood.

"Love... birds?" Starfire furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, "What manner of bird--"

"Well, I guess we better get going then!" Robin quickly stood up from his seat and rushed over to the others. In a panic, he began pushing a surprised Raven over to Starfire.

"But we do not know where we are going..." Starfire chimed in as she stood up from the fountain side, attempting to look over Raven who was blocking her vision.

"Right..." Robin chuckled nervously as he let go of Raven and backed off, receiving an angry glare.

"It's on the second floor, just across from the arcade. You'll know it when you see it." said Cyborg, pointing up to the east hallway's second floor.

Starfire giggled, clapping her hands together, "You are still going to help me?" she asked Raven hopefully.

"Of course--"

"Splendid!" exclaimed Starfire, taking hold of Raven's hand, pulling her gleefully to the escalator. Raven sighed disdainfully, not because of Starfire, but because of their destination... Beast Boy was going to owe her for this one.

Suddenly, a rather sly sounding emotion spoke up in Raven's mind,_ 'Maybe you could ask him to repay you with a--SHUT UP!' _she quickly interrupted herself.

Robin let out a deep breath as he watched Starfire and Raven step onto the escalator in the distance. He didn't want to leave so soon... and if not for Cyborg's big mouth, he wouldn't have had to. Giving Cyborg and Beast Boy a angry look, Robin began moving forward. Quickly, the two turned around and started walking to their destination, feeling the Boy Wonder's glare stabbing painfully at their backs all the while.

- - - - - -

Partway up the escalator, Starfire looked back to see the boys making their way down the west hallway. Turning her attention back to the moving staircase, she wondered why Robin seemed so eager to leave, _'Perhaps he is as excited about this party as you... perhaps he wishes to dance with you.' _she thought, causing a silly and uncontrollable grin to spread across her face. The smile remained plastered on her face, as she had no reason to believe such a thing was not on Robin's mind.

Holding her cloak above her ankles so it wouldn't get stuck in the escalator, Raven looked to Starfire; even from behind she could tell how happy her friend was. Raven took a deep breath, trying to maintain her focus though thoughts of brightly colored dresses kept assaulting her mind, _'I'm doing this for Starfire, I'm doing this for Starfire...' _she repeated the same phrase to herself continuously. _'I'm doing--Oh, for the...'_ Raven's expression faltered as she saw a store near to the top of the escalator. Cyborg was right... they would know it when they saw it. And it was so blatantly a store for bright sparkling attire that Raven felt like rushing back down the escalator... however, keeping Starfire's emotions in mind, she stayed put, grimacing as the automatic staircase brought her ever closer to... that place.

Stepping off of the escalator, Starfire smiled, immediately taking notice of the store Cyborg described. The windows directly adjacent to the entrance were used as displays for mannequins. Each figure was adorned by clothing worthy of the runway; most wore florid dresses. Beyond the doorway, Starfire could see many items of clothing displayed on the walls and circular racks throughout the floor. Further on, she noticed an entire section devoted to the particular apparel they were looking for.

About to walk in through the doors, Starfire turned around to see Raven looking uneasy, "There is nothing to fear, it is merely a clothing shop." she smiled, noticing Raven's expression change.

"I am not afraid." said Raven. Walking past Starfire, Raven stood at the threshold and took in a deep breath. Slowly making her way through the open doors, she turned around to face Starfire, "See." she said, feeling strange just standing in the place. Simply giggling, Starfire followed after Raven.

As the two walked along the isles to their destination, Starfire took the time to examine some of the other clothing in the shop. Most of the things she saw seemed very strange to her. Looking upon the mannequins which stood tall above the racks of attire, she had to withhold a laugh at what humans considered to be high fashion; many of the items looked to her like the costumes people wore during the celebration of _Halloween_.

"Here it is." said Raven, sounding less than enthusiastic as she stopped at the section of the shop which was dedicated to dresses.

Walking into the gallery of outfits, Starfire looked around herself, immediately feeling overwhelmed by the selection. "Um... Raven?" she attempted to attain the empath's attention.

"...Yes?" replied Raven, reluctantly stepping into the area.

"On my planet, many celebrations require specific attire to be worn... what do you suppose this party will require?" she asked, unsure of the party's code of dress, if it even had one.

Raven eyed the various racks, "Well... I don't think it's a fancy celebration... So, I guess you'd want something simple... nothing too flashy." she advised, relying on common sense to help her. Raven figured she knew as little, if not less than Starfire about this subject. Suddenly, Raven smirked slightly, "That is, unless you're trying to get someone's attention." she added in her usual monotone voice.

Starfire's face quickly turned red, "I do not know what you are referring to..." she said, turning around to hide her expression, "But... would you have any suggestions?"

Raven felt like laughing, but kept her composure, deciding not to tease Starfire any more. Standing beside Starfire, Raven grimaced as she looked over the selection, "Hmm... Anything from over there." she said, pointing to a section of the wall which displayed a multitude of normal looking, but flattering dresses. "Just... pick one you think would work..." Raven felt very strange; the last thing she thought she would be doing on this day was giving fashion advice... it was the last thing she expected to do in her life for that matter. Had the apocalypse not already been averted, she would have thought the world was coming to an end.

Starfire looked over the dresses until something caught her eye, "This is the one!" she exclaimed happily, picking up a length of shimmering white fabric from the wall.

"That's... good." understated Raven, holding back a smile as she examined the dress Starfire held. She knew it wouldn't have mattered what Starfire chose, Robin would have taken notice no matter what... but this... this would drive him crazy. Raven smirked at the thought of Robin mindlessly gawking all night at Starfire and tripping over himself with his attention so preoccupied... Cyborg and Beast Boy would have a field day with it.

"Let us venture to the payment counter." Starfire smiled jubilantly, beginning to walk back toward the entrance.

"Wait, Starfire. Don't you want to try it on first?" Raven shrugged, "Just to make sure you like it?"

"Oh, of course." Starfire realized that in her state of enthusiasm she had forgotten to check if the dress even fit, "Thank you for reminding me." she said, looking across the shop to find the changing rooms. Locating her destination, Starfire started on her way, "I shall return shortly." she assured Raven who would now be left alone in unfamiliar territory.

As Starfire disappeared, Raven sighed realizing she had just prolonged her stay in this place... Feeling crowded, Raven crossed her arms and began tapping her foot against the carpeted floor. Unsure of how she should spend this time, Raven stopped tapping her foot and proceeded to pace back and forth through the isle. Suddenly, something caught her attention. On the wall was a dress that stood out like a sore thumb, not because it was bright or flamboyant, but because it was situated oddly between several dresses of that nature. Suspended by its hanger, the smooth fabric of the simple black dress fell long to the ground and sparkled slightly with tiny unnoticeable stones placed in a pattern about its surface. Standing still and keeping her deadpan expression, Raven simply raised an eyebrow at it.

- - - - - -

Robin groaned as he watched Cyborg and Beast Boy make their way into the men's clothing section of the store. The one thing he hated about parties was the obligation to dress in uncomfortable clothes; flashbacks to the prom and that tight-necked tuxedo he had to wear kept popping into his mind. He remembered going to so many of Bruce's little business socials as well... it was something he thought he had escaped by moving away. As bad as it sounded, Starfire's smile remained etched on his thoughts, giving him a reason to go through whatever he had to. The party seemed like something she would really enjoy, and so many of the events they had attended since she arrived on earth had always been cut short by something... Taking a serious expression, Robin nodded to himself as he followed after his friends; this time would be different.

Robin realized he had gotten so used to wearing his uniform day in and day out that he had forgotten what it was like to have a secret identity. In Jump City, he was Robin and no one else. Tracing Cyborg and Beast Boy's footsteps, Robin walked about the area; surrounding him were pants and shirts suspended by hanger on shoulder-high circular metal racks. The racks were spaced evenly apart and each one seemed to keep to a certain theme, from t-shirts to jackets. Around the perimeter of the small section of store, several tables were positioned, on which more shirts had been placed... Robin assumed the clothes had been placed there because the store had run out of room for more racks in such a small area. It seemed a bit suffocating, but Robin pressed on, finally catching up to Cyborg and Beast Boy.

Seeing Cyborg looking over the clothes along with Beast Boy, Robin eyed him curiously, wondering what he could be looking for... his clothes were permanent after all. Beast Boy seemed to be having a certain amount of fun, a grin plastered across his face as he searched about the tables and racks, stopping momentarily to furrow his eyebrows and scratch his chin while he examined individual articles of clothing every so often.

"Hehe, how 'bout this?" Beast Boy picked up a button-down t-shirt with odd colors and funky shapes decorated across the fabric, holding it up for Cyborg to see. His tone of voice made it clear that he was not in the least bit serious, obviously just trying to get a reaction out of Cyborg.

"No way." Cyborg answered seriously, "Y'know we're not gonna hang out with you if you wear that, right?"

"Aw, come on. Doesn't it just say, _the funny one_?" he asked with a grin, holding the shirt up to himself.

"Yeah. And that's exactly why _you _shouldn't wear it." Cyborg snatched the shirt away and tossed it back on the table. "Get serious man. I thought you said you wanted to look good for your _fans_." he said, quoting the word sardonically with his fingers.

Chuckling, Beast Boy immediately turned back to the table of shirts. "So, are you gonna try and find something, or are you just gonna stand there looking uncomfortable all day?" Beast Boy asked Robin in a joking manner.

Robin groaned under his breath as he looked around the place, "I... don't know." he answered gruffly with his arms crossed.

"Come on man. Star's gettin' all dressed up. How do you think it'd make her feel if you went in wearing your regular old uniform?" asked Cyborg with a sly tone and a wily grin.

Robin stood still for a moment, his expression shifting to one of regret as he imagined that situation. "...Out of my way." said Robin, pushing aside Cyborg to start searching through the racks.

Cyborg laughed under his breath as he watched Robin rummaging through the clothes, "Works every time." he said while the Boy Wonder was out of ear-shot.

Suddenly, Beast Boy stepped in front of Cyborg, grinning profusely as he held two peculiar objects in his hands, "So, which novelty tie--"

"NEITHER!"

- - - - - -

Standing in the changing room, Robin looked at himself in the mirror. What he saw was very strange to him; if not for the mask, he would have looked like an ordinary teenager... a teenager who was on his way to some important event. Robin wore a long sleeved, white button-down shirt and black pants. It was all a lot more comfortable than he expected... which made sense to him, as anything was more comfortable than that tuxedo. Deciding to go for a relaxed look, Robin kept the shirt untucked and left the top button undone, glad to not have the collar biting at his neck. Looking back at the reflection, Robin grimaced; it made him look... different, not bad, but different. He wondered what Starfire would think of it... he wondered if she even looked at him that way.

Suddenly, Robin started to think about that night at the amusement park. He had come so close to revealing his feelings for her. The exact words he used wouldn't leave his mind... that he cared for her more than anything or anyone he had ever met; never had he spoken words of more truth. It was at that moment that he thought everything would be ruined... but nothing could have been farther from the truth. He remembered so vividly what Starfire said when they returned. She had embraced him, and whispered softly in his ear... just the thought of it made him shiver. _'I care for you as well... very much.'_ her sweet voice echoed in his mind. Robin took in a deep breath. There was something there... something in her voice that just couldn't be ignored. It made him believe that Starfire might actually return his affections. No matter what he believed, he had to know for sure... and there was only one way; sooner than later, he would have to tell her.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Robin was struck by new resolve. Making up his mind, he decided that it would be tomorrow night... No more hiding.

- - - - - -

Finally back together, the Titans stepped out of the mall carrying their things in bags and boxes, heading to the T-Car. As expected, the water on the parking lot had become all but evaporated by this time, leaving only small sections of moisture, mostly under the cars. Looking to the light clouds above, Robin noticed that they must have been in the mall for a reasonably long amount of time, as the sun had already passed more than halfway through the sky. The beginnings of a sunset could be seen as the sky was in the midst of shifting tint from blue to orange. The clouds would soon change colors as well.

Gathering at the back of the T-Car, all the Titans proceeded to place their things in the trunk. Much to Cyborg's surprise, Beast Boy had actually settled on something normal. As Beast Boy placed his bag in the trunk, a purple sleeve could be seen hanging over the top; once again, he had apparently opted to preserve his usual colors. Setting his bag down next to Beast Boy's, Robin was surprised to see Starfire place two shallow blue boxes in the trunk; he assumed the box was to keep the dress from getting wrinkled... but he couldn't figure out why there would be two boxes.

"So," started Cyborg, shutting the trunk, "We weren't doing anything today, right? You guys wanna just hang out here for the rest of the day?" he asked.

"Sure." responded Robin, knowing the others were going to go along with it anyway.

"A fantastic idea!" exclaimed Starfire with a smile.

"...Sounds good." said Raven, who could have gone either way.

Suddenly, Beast Boy leapt in front of everyone and dramatically pointed to the mall, "To the arcade!" he shouted.

"Yeah!" responded Cyborg enthusiastically, "I've got your high score beat!" he said, pointing triumphantly to himself with a thumb as the Titans began walking to the entrance once again.

"Not for long." Beast Boy gloated.

"I'll be at the bookstore." said Raven, not wanting to deal with the noisy commotion in the arcade.

Suddenly, Beast Boy stopped in his tracks, "Come on Raven, we've never seen you play any games..." he said, turning around to face her, "Something tells me you'd be good at air hockey." he added with a grin, continuously raising his eyebrows.

Raven attempted to avoid Beast Boy's eyes, "...Alright." she agreed without thinking. Having never been to the arcade before, she figured there might be something she could find to do there, "But I'm not making any promises."

"So we are all going to the arcade? Excellent, I have always wanted to try out the _Double-Dance Evolution_ game I have heard so much about." Starfire smiled, floating alongside the others instead of walking. Thoughts of tomorrow night's celebration were jumping about in her mind; she wondered what Robin would say if she asked him to dance at the party.

Robin chuckled slightly as he heard Starfire mention the game's title, "Star, I think you mean..."

- - - - - -

After spending a while in the arcade, the Titans soon realized they hadn't eaten anything all day... not even for breakfast. Cyborg and Beast Boy only noticed this after they had played too many games and ended up with severe headaches; the flashing lights of the arcade weren't aiding the situation much either. Helping them both with her powers, Raven held up Cyborg and Beast Boy who were on the verge of collapsing. Raven, who had been "forced" to play a few games by Beast Boy, felt a certain amount of hunger pains as well, and so led the team out and toward the food court.

As the others made their way out of the arcade, Robin and Starfire began to follow, stepping away from a group of rather angry gamers who surrounded the machine Starfire had been playing. Relieved as they exited the place, Robin and Starfire let out a sigh while they continued after the others.

"I do not understand... If I did well, then why were those people angry with me?" asked Starfire, seeming disheartened.

"Well, you beat their scores... I guess that kind of thing is really important to them." trying not to smile, Robin thought back to what happened in the arcade. The game was played by stepping on sections of a pad which corresponded to the symbols displayed on the screen, completing a full sequence of moves in the process; essentially, it required the player to be a good dancer. Starfire had completely destroyed any average gamer's chance at the top score... the numbers were somewhere in the high millions. Robin figured that with all the alien martial arts Starfire knew, and her quick reflexes, the game must not have been much of a challenge to her... fighting arts were a lot like a lethal dance after all.

"Then... I did nothing wrong?"

"Not at all. Those people were just being sore losers." Robin reassured her, hoping to see her smile again.

"That is a relief." said Starfire, smiling now that she knew she hadn't broken some unspoken human rule.

Glad to see the joy returning to her face, Robin smiled back. Suddenly, he noticed an abundance of shining objects in the window of a store to his right. They were passing right by the jewelry store he had bought that necklace from. Quickly, a multitude of thoughts came rushing back to him; the necklace... he had nearly forgotten about it. But after seeing that window again, the thought wouldn't leave him. Now, he knew exactly when he should give it to her. Paying little attention to the placement of his feet, Robin soon tripped over himself and began stumbling forward awkwardly.

"Robin!" called Starfire, immediately by his side, her arms around his waist to keep him from falling. "You must be greatly deprived of nourishment." she said worriedly, looking into his eyes... she knew it was the truth; Robin had been forcing himself to do extra training lately. "Take my hand, I will carry you the remaining distance." letting go of his waist, she held out her hand to him.

"Star, I don't..." Robin trailed off as he saw the serious expression on her face, "Alright." he conceded, taking her hand.

- - - - - -

Feeling stuffed from all the food he had eaten, Robin waited as the doors to the common room slid open. He laughed quietly as he remembered how Starfire wouldn't let him leave the table without eating just a little more... She really did care about his well-being; he felt blessed to know someone so kind. Stepping into the living room with the others, bag in hand, he looked out the main windows. The sun had set completely, leaving a mere twilight glow to linger on the fringes of the horizon. Another day had passed, though he didn't feel like he had wasted it.

"Long day..." Cyborg yawned, walking toward the hallway.

"Yeah... I could use a good rest." said Beast Boy, stretching his arms out as he followed after Cyborg.

"Next time, don't play yourself into a headache." Raven shook her head as Cyborg and Beast Boy disappeared around the corner. As soon as they were out of sight, Raven whispered something quietly to Starfire. Holding her boxes securely, Starfire nodded in response. "Thanks." said Raven as she proceeded to walk off to her room.

Carrying the two boxes under her arms, Starfire floated to the hallway. Stopping at the threshold, she turned around to look at Robin who was just now walking down into the living room, "Goodnight Robin." she smiled.

"'Night Star." replied Robin, noticing Starfire's smile intensify as he spoke. Robin watched with a little curiosity as she made her way through the hallway. Shrugging his shoulders with a smile, Robin realized he was still carrying his bag. Walking up out of the living room, he ambled down the hallway toward his room, shutting the light off along the way.

After putting away his things, Robin looked around the outside of his doorway. The lights were all shut off, though the glow of the moon and stars managed to bounce its way through the corridor. Stepping out of his room and quietly shutting the door, Robin assumed the others had already fallen asleep. Walking quietly, Robin found his way to the staircase leading up to the roof. Keeping the same stealthy demeanor, he softly climbed the stairs until he reached the metal door at the top. Careful not to be too loud, Robin turned the knob and pushed the door outward; the usual rush of air came through, and he realized he had little control over the sound it made. Looking out over the empty rooftop, Robin stepped out of the doorway and shut it behind him.

The stars were bright, complemented by the nearly full moon; both heavenly presences cast their humbling glow down upon the rooftop. The pinpoints of light twinkled ever so slightly as a nearly invisible layer of clouds passed by overhead. Rumbling in the distance, the ocean sent waves to crash against the shore of the island. As Robin walked to the edge of the roof, he felt a breeze blowing about, carrying with it the lingering affects of a warm day.

Sitting down at the edge, Robin sighed; tired as he was, he couldn't sleep. The day had not been wasted... but it was still gone... one more he could never get back. There was so little time left... just two days, and he was still so uncertain. For all he knew, Starfire would still be leaving on the morning after that tenth day... for all he knew, she had absolutely no choice but to leave, whether she wanted to stay or not. Robin looked up to the stars, locating the brightest one in the sky, _'Please... I've never wished for anything before...'_ he thought, leaning against his hands. _'Grant my... No, grant her wish... whatever it may be.' _he continued, feeling strange about speaking to the vast sparkling infinity above him.

"May I join you?" came an angelic voice from behind him, one he immediately recognized.

Snapping out of his state of mind, Robin turned his head to see Starfire standing at his side, smiling down at him. His heart had nearly leapt out of his chest, but he answered her anyway, "Of course." he said, tapping on the edge of the roof beside him.

Sitting down reasonably close to Robin, Starfire rested her hands on her knees and absentmindedly began swinging her legs as they hung over the edge. "This is where you come to think, yes?" she asked, hoping she wasn't prodding... she simply wanted to spend some time alone with him after an entire day of the opposite. To her surprise, he nodded in response to her question. "Robin... is something worrying you?" she inquired.

Robin looked back up to the stars, "Well... a little." he answered. "It's that wish... it's something I really want to happen, but I don't know if it's even possible." he took a deep breath and exhaled, realizing he had begun to speak with her... differently, more open in a sense.

"I understand this feeling. My wish... is something I have wanted for a very long time, but I fear that I may be asking too much... that I should be happy with things the way they are. It seems selfish..." she said, looking remorsefully down at her feet as she kicked them lightly.

Robin noticed the sudden change in Starfire and decided to reassure her, "Starfire... wishes come from the heart, and the heart wants what it wants. It's not selfish at all." he said, smiling as he realized he had made himself feel a little better... he only hoped the same thing for Starfire. "Besides, you're the least selfish person I've ever known... Whatever it is you're wishing for, you deserve it."

"Thank you." said Starfire, feeling her doubts slip away. When he talked like that, it made her think that somehow... he might share what she felt for him, though there was no way she could know for sure. However, Starfire knew that was not the truth; there was one way she could know for sure, but she didn't feel ready to tell him just yet. "You are very kind to me..." Starfire blushed slightly and attempted to hide her face under her shoulders. Snapping out of it, Starfire stood up, "I suppose we should rest if we want to be awake for the celebration tomorrow." she said, holding out a hand to Robin in order to help him up.

Taking Starfire's hand, Robin stood up and looked into her eyes for a moment... she had completely taken his worries away, _'Maybe I will be able to get some sleep tonight.'_

* * *

**Author's Note:** I am a terrible insomniac... I stayed up all night finishing up this chapter, just so I could post it on time (something I don't often do, if you haven't noticed :). Hehe, yep, that was Beast Boy's plan the entire time. There is a little more about it, such as what goes on at the party, but the plan has pretty much been revealed in its entirety.

On another note, I've reached a personal milestone with this fic... 300 reviews. My goal when I first posted the fic was to have 100 reviews by the time I was done :). So, I have no one else to thank but all you great reviewers out there who made this happen... you are AWESOME! That's why this chapter has been dedicated to YOU, that's right, you :). Hehe, but a special thanks goes to Crazy Girl Person for posting the 300th review :P.

**Next Chapter Preview:** Robin is in for a surprise as Tyrus challenges him to a fight in order to test his skills... or perhaps it's Tyrus who's in for the surprise. Later that morning, Robin and Starfire head to the park alone. But, with threatening skies, will their outing be ruined? Day 9, Part One: When It Rains...


	17. Day 9, Part 1: When It Rains

**10 Leisurely Days**

by Blue Ten

**Summary:**

Robin finds out that Starfire will be leaving for Tamaran in 10 days. Keeping his discovery a secret, he has a little over a week to give her a reason to stay. But when things keep getting in the way, will he even get the chance? RobxStar, BBxRae

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Teen Titans.

* * *

Day 9, Part One: When It Rains...

The sound of quickened waves shattering against the island rocks flowed through the window like water, flooding the dark room with its constant yet peaceful presence. Calm and infrequent gusts of warm wind rustled the plain white curtains under the light of the silvery moon; like white phantoms, both lengths of fabric moved about, struck aglow by the ever-present heavenly body. The view through the window of the oceanic horizon was obstructed only by the connecting bridge in the distance. The stars above, though slightly bleached by the moonlight, cast their otherworldly blue glow down upon the ocean, revealing the movement of nearly every curl on its surface. It was all so peaceful... too peaceful... like a dream, keeping one from the world, away from obligation. In the darkness of the room, a fist clenched and an eye began to twitch as a certain realization came upon the slumbering Boy Wonder.

Mustering all his strength to break from the iron bond of dreams, Robin shot up from his pillow, tearing the covers from himself; the sheets fell to the floor and caught themselves in the light of the moon. Breathing heavily with a strange light-headed feeling, Robin searched the room frantically with his eyes, though in his waking state he couldn't quite figure out what he was looking for. Suddenly, reality came rushing back to him in one horrifying instant. Turning quickly to his clock, Robin saw that it was just past 1:00 in the morning... he was going to be late. Without hesitation, he swung his feet over the right edge of his bed and swiftly pulled his boots on. Knowing he still had to be quiet, Robin walked as fast as he could to his door, sliding it open to step into the hallway.

The corridor was dark and deathly quiet; the others were of course asleep at this time, and Robin had no intention of waking them up. After closing his door with restrained hurry, Robin swallowed hard as he attempted to tiptoe his way to the common room. He tried to make as little noise as possible, but the steel toes of his boots continued to tap on the floor; it was a tap that sounded to him like he was stomping incessantly on the ground. Finally making it to the living room, Robin let out a breath and made his way to the elevator doors. After waiting anxiously for the doors to open, he almost leapt in, hurriedly pushing the button for the garage. When the doors didn't close as quickly as he would have liked, he began to impatiently press on the button as if more times would persuade the doors to shut and the elevator to move. Finally, the doors closed; as the elevator began to move, Robin immediately lost his balance and fell into the wall, knocking his head against it, something that would not have happened had he been fully awake. With a groan, he massaged the portion of his head that had collided with the wall, _'Stay awake...'_ he ordered himself. As soon as the elevator rang in the arrival on the bottom floor, Robin rushed to the doors, _helping_ them open.

Scanning the garage, Robin located his motorcycle and hastily made his way toward it, knowing now he didn't need to be as quiet as before. On the seat of the R-Cycle rested Robin's helmet; quickly putting it on, he positioned himself on the bike and tapped something into the front panel. Soon, the immense doors in front of him began to slide open, shaking the ground slightly with their movement. Finally, the doors revealed the undersea tunnel, lit up by a continuous line of bright orange lights. It gave Robin a small sense of relief to see this; a straight path, and no reason to hold back on speed. Releasing the kickstand, he revved up his cycle and took off into the tunnel.

Keeping a serious demeanor, Robin drove in the center of the shaft, following under the path of lights. _'I got too careless.'_ he thought, narrowing his eyes. He felt as though with that extra hour or so he had slept, with the time he had squandered... he was killing Starfire and his friends. He was doing this for them... for her, how could he be so heedless? Clenching his grip on the handles of the cycle, Robin increased the speed, knowing there was nothing he could to change what had happened now... he could only try to reach his destination as fast as possible. As the end of the tunnel came into view, Robin was forced to a halt. Tapping his access code into the panel, he watched as the ground began to slant upward, opening the tunnel onto the city streets. Several cars could be heard passing by above; like him, the city never truly rested.

Driving out of the corridor, Robin stopped, waiting for an opening into the traffic as the tunnel closed behind him. Normally, this was where he would leave his vehicle... but there was no time to be discreet. With a break in the traffic, Robin immediately sped up the cycle and made a right down the street which ran alongside the bay. Unwilling to waste any more time, he began cutting and weaving through the slow traffic.

As his next turn came into view, Robin tore to the left, screeching his tires against the road. There, in the distance, he could see Tyrus' building on one side of an empty street, lights on as usual. Bringing the R-Cycle to a halt by the sidewalk, Robin pushed down the kickstand and stepped off, dropping his helmet on the ground beside the bike. Running up to the doors, Robin pushed his way through, sliding into the building and breathing hard as he came to a stop.

Tyrus, who had been standing on the opposite end of the room with a cup of tea in his hands, fumbled with the cup as Robin came rushing in. Letting out a breath, he set the cup down on a small table beside the wall and turned to Robin, "You're late..." he started. Robin immediately turned his face away slightly, feeling even more regretful. "Thanks." Tyrus added with a chuckle, "I thought I wouldn't get some time to rest until _after_ your training."

Robin raised an eyebrow at the old man before returning to his state of urgency, "I wasted time. I have to start now. Forget the weight training." he said quickly.

"You're in a hurry?" asked Tyrus, drawing a bokken from his belt as he created a certain distance between himself and Robin, "Good. I've had this in mind for a while now, and it won't take long at all." he finished, placing both hands on the hilt of the sword, readying a stance.

"What...? You want to fight me?" asked Robin with a bit of surprise.

"Of course. What better way to test your abilities?" Tyrus nodded his head, motioning for Robin to pick up the bokken by the wall. Robin complied rather skeptically, and Tyrus spoke up again, "We won't worry about helmets or body armor. After all, you've seen many battles... and so have I. You're not afraid of a few bruises, are you?" he inquired.

"No." answered Robin, seriously and to the point. Holding the sword up with both hands, Robin centered it in his vision.

"I'm not going to go easy on you." Tyrus warned.

"I wouldn't want you to." replied Robin, feeling like he was back on track. A real fight would help him out more than spoken training; this would assuredly make up for lost time if Tyrus was being serious.

"Alright then. Begin!"

Neither waiting for the other to make the first move, both Robin and Tyrus began at once. Keeping his sword centered, Tyrus lifted it high and slashed down as he took one step forward. Holding his position, Robin tightened his stance and held the heavy wooden sword horizontally, countering Tyrus' move and adding some force to push it away. With his first strike deflected, Tyrus acted quickly in response. Moving the sword to his right, he cut diagonally. Paying more attention to Tyrus' moves than his own, Robin quickly moved his sword to block once again. With the sound of wooden collision, Robin had successfully placed his sword in front of the attack; however, with the sheer force of the old man's cut, Robin was struck on the shoulder, causing him to drop the bokken to the floor. Robin winced each time one end of the sword bounced against the polished wood floor, acknowledging his defeat with each tooth clenching clatter. As Robin glared at the sword, Tyrus backed away and returned to his starting position.

"Once more." said Robin, picking up the sword, though his sore shoulder hindered him slightly. As soon as Tyrus nodded, Robin charged in, deciding to attempt the first strike. Slashing horizontally, Robin found his attack immediately stopped. Both hands clenched securely on the hilt, Tyrus held his sword over his shoulder, keeping Robin at bay. Without warning, Tyrus knocked Robin's sword away with what seemed like merely the flick of his wrist. Just as quickly, he cut once more, hitting Robin in the stomach; though it caused more frustration than physical pain. Once again, the Boy Wonder dropped the wooden blade to the floor.

Robin looked up at Tyrus to see him moving back into position, his expression remaining unchanged. Sighing, Robin reached out for the bokken... If he couldn't at least match this man now, then there was no way he could... _'I can't afford to fail.' _he thought seriously, blocking doubt from his mind. Clutching the sword through the pain he felt in his hand and shoulder, Robin stepped back and centered it on Tyrus. What seemed like two losses, could actually help him in a way. Robin had taken note of every motion Tyrus made, down to the positioning of his feet... He had always been told to know his opponent's moves inside and out... perception was the key to victory. Before making any moves, Robin closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. As he concentrated, he could feel the outside distractions fading away... all sound, all sight, all but his opponent vanished. Opening his eyes, Robin retained focus on Tyrus, "I'm ready." he said.

Taking in slow breaths, Robin brought the sword down to his side, watching as Tyrus did the same. As he moved the bokken again to a position above his right shoulder, the whole world was out of his attention, save for his opponent. In the blink of an eye, Robin stepped forward and cut downward diagonally. Immediately, with a wooden _clack_, the two swords met between the fighters. Using the momentum of his first strike, Robin spun around and cut horizontally. Tyrus managed to parry this attack, now holding his sword perfectly vertical. As soon as he saw this, Robin pulled the bokken away, rotating to the left around Tyrus, who did the same; both faced each other once again, ready to clash swords once again. Before Tyrus made a move, Robin raised his sword and cut diagonally; wise to this, Tyrus merely ducked under the slash to avoid it. Eyes widening as his opportunity revealed itself, Robin quicky held his sword out and turned one full circle, hoping to catch Tyrus off guard with a slash fueled by momentum. With the sound of sword against sword, the world suddenly faded back into view for Robin. Hilt to hilt, Robin and Tyrus held their swords a perfect distance between each other; their attacks had been stopped just short of hitting. The ends of their bokken were mere inches from the other's face, halted in the center; neither could finish their strike.

"A draw...?" Tyrus sounded as though he was questioning himself, wide eyed as his hands shook ever so slightly... the student had nearly become the teacher. Holding his position in disbelief, Robin breathed hard, barely understanding what had just happened... it was as though the right moves just came to him. Clearing his throat, Tyrus pulled the sword away and stepped back; still in a little bit of denial, he bowed slightly as was customary. Relaxing his grip on the sword, Robin brought it down to his side and followed Tyrus' example. "I think that's enough for today." said Tyrus, setting the sword down by the wall.

"What?" Robin clenched the sword in his hand, "But there's so much more to learn." he said, unwilling to stop now... he had only just arrived.

"Do you have any idea what just happened there?" inquired Tyrus. Robin didn't answer, though he had a slight understanding. "You've shown a perfect sense of _mushin_ and _ma_. I saw it on your expression during the fight; pure unhindered focus... I hate to say this, but I could never hope to refine my senses to that level; one cannot be taught these things, you see." a slight smile formed on the old man's face. "You learned more from yourself in that battle than I could ever teach you, believe me." with a grin, Tyrus chuckled, "Go home, get some rest." he said.

"But..."

"You want to win your fight against this guy, right?" Tyrus asked. Without answering, Robin looked to the ground. "Look, if there's one thing I've learned in all my years, it's that you can't win a battle... if you're falling asleep." he looked to Robin with a knowing smirk. Robin suddenly stood up straight; it was true... he could never hope to win against Grey in such a state of fatigue. Deciding it was a good idea, Robin walked over to the wall and set down the bokken. "Besides, don't you want to be awake for that big celebration?" added Tyrus.

Robin, who was about to walk to the door, stopped and looked at Tyrus curiously, "How did you know--"

"It was all over the news. They said you're actually going this year." Tyrus stretched out his arms as he turned to face the stairs in the back room, "I could care less about that kind of thing... it's more for you young people." he said, making his way forward. "I think I might actually get a good rest before classes this morning." he finished, walking away into the back room.

_'All over the news...?' _thought Robin, pulling open the door. _Now_ he was worried.

- - - - - -

Through the haze of a waking dream, Starfire could hear and feel the world fading into perception. The room was dimly lit, but through her tired eyes, the blue morning light could be seen spreading slowly across the walls. A strange vision came upon Starfire as she turned her attention to the foot of her bed; tall purple figures danced playfully about at the ends of the horizon... in her waking state, she couldn't recognize her curtains. Feeling her eyes close once again, Starfire drifted back into that place between slumber and awakening as a warm breeze came across her smiling face. The saliferous ocean air was blowing in through the partly open window, causing a slight whistle to play about the room. The sea shattered its waves across the shore, breaking them upon the rocks, pulling back only to repeat this action again. The peaceful sounds continued, gently lulling the mind and body back to sleep. At this moment, a beam of orange light broke across the sea and through the windows; the sun had just risen its crest above the ocean. As the light touched her face, Starfire took in a deep breath, feeling the warm energy beginning to flow through her.

Sitting up, Starfire looked out the window to see the outset of an orange sunrise. With a smile, she removed the covers and stepped down from her bed. Today was the day, and she couldn't wait. Too happy to contain herself, Starfire floated in the air and twirled around once, imagining a dance with a certain someone. Once she realized how silly she was being, Starfire descended back to the ground, keeping her perpetual smile. With another look out the window, she rushed over to her closet, not wanting to waste the first half of the day... daydreaming.

- - - - - -

Barely halfway above the horizon, the sun appeared much larger than usual as it sent its bright orange rays through the common room windows. It looked to be another beautiful day; however, as the sun rose higher, it became evident that there was a good amount of cloud cover situated above the city. Standing in the kitchen as he placed a used plate and cup in the sink, Robin shrugged his shoulders at the cloud layer. It didn't matter to him that it was cloudy... as long as it didn't stick around and ruin things later with rain; the celebration was supposed to take place outside, and by the beach no less. The weather had been strangely prone to rain lately... odd, given that it was the middle of summer. Even with the recent rain, the temperature remained true to the season; even now, Robin could feel the warm air in the tower.

Walking away from the kitchen, Robin stretched his arms out. Thanks to that short training session, he had actually gotten his usual amount of sleep. It had been a while since he had felt this energetic and refreshed at such an early hour in the morning. He had been so well rested that he didn't even need his alarm to wake up. He figured that perhaps it wasn't just his rested state that made him feel this way. Ever since that night at the amusement park, he felt as though things might work out. However, he wasn't quite optimistic enough to stop what he was doing now. He knew he was being selfish, but he wanted to spend as much time with Starfire as possible before... that day.

Suddenly, Robin remembered that morning at the park. They had both gotten up early enough that they had to try and wake the others in order to ask if they wanted to go. As he walked down into the living room, the sunlight caught itself in Robin's eyes, causing him to squint. Seeing the relatively good weather, he wondered if Starfire would mind 'hanging out' at the park again. Simply the thought of that morning made his heart lurch... they had merely watched the sunrise all morning. Now standing by the couch, Robin looked out the windows, hoping that Starfire would wake up before the others.

"Good morning friends!" came a jovial voice from the hallway. "I am well rested and ready to--friends?" opening her eyes after her joy-filled introduction, Starfire looked out across the empty living room with curiosity.

"They're all still asleep, Star." answered Robin from where he stood, smiling at her ability to be so cheery after just waking up. He was sure he felt the same way, though his composure kept him from shouting it out to the world.

Hearing Robin's voice, Starfire turned her attention to the couch; upon seeing him, she immediately flew over, hovering slightly above the ground. "But we are both awake." she said happily. Turning to the window, Starfire basked in the warm sunlight once again, "And it is such a wonderful day outside, shall we not _make the best of it_?" she asked with a glint of hope in her eyes, hoping that Robin was as enthusiastic.

Robin looked out at the clouds... they looked dark and fairly heavy with precipitation, but if Starfire wanted to do something, he wouldn't argue. "Uh, sure." he said, turning away from the window, "How about the park?" he asked. Thinking about it, he realized there really wasn't anywhere else in the city worth going to so early.

"Wonderful!" Starfire exclaimed, floating across the room toward the kitchen, "I shall gather a small breakfast." she said. Hearing this, Robin winced, almost as though he could still feel his tongue burning. "Do not worry, this time I will leave out the... _andra fruit_." said Starfire with a giggle, much to Robin's relief. Suddenly, Starfire lowered herself to the ground and looked, disheartened, toward the hallway as something interrupted her thoughts like a brick wall, "But... I suppose I should awaken the others, yes?" she asked, knowing that things might not go like last time.

Robin began to massage the back of his neck nervously, "Actually..." he coughed, "I was thinking, maybe..." trailing off, he swallowed a lump in his throat, "Just the two of us?" he managed to blurt out.

With a sudden rise in heart rate, Starfire felt her feet lifting uncontrollably off the ground once again, "Truly?" she asked, more than a little surprised.

"Yeah... unless, you want to--"

"No, I agree. There is no point in bothering our friends for this." she said, assuming that was Robin's reasoning. Thanking her luck, Starfire raced off to the kitchen, picking up a small blue bag which she immediately filled with whatever she could, Tamaranian food or not. While she searched, a tremendous enthusiasm simply radiated from her being. Finishing up, Starfire made her way to the doors, "Shall we?" she motioned a hand toward the elevator with a large grin on her face.

Feeling fortunate that Starfire hadn't read too much into his suggestion, Robin walked over to the elevator, immediately surprised as Starfire took his hand and pulled him through the already open doors.

- - - - - -

The bright light of the sun managed to work its way under the dark curtains, sending a bit of luminance across the floor. As a single stream of light passed through a slight opening between the curtains, Raven found herself awakened by its contrasting presence in the room. Opening her eyes, Raven found herself staring straight up at the ceiling; strangely enough, she had the blanket pulled up to her shoulders... _'Must have been cold.' _she thought. Sitting up slowly in her bed, she looked around the room curiously. Everything looked normal... with a relieved sigh, she turned to a counter beside her bed. "No nightmares..." she started, looking at the stuffed animal with an emotionless expression, "I guess that makes you a good luck charm."

Picking up the goofy green invertebrate with one hand, Raven squeezed it to hear that odd squeak. With a small smirk, she set it back on the counter. She found that she didn't have so much of a problem with it anymore... in fact, the longer she kept it around, the more it seemed to grow on her. The gift wasn't stupid at all... it was actually kind of funny.

- - - - - -

Still rising, the morning sun belted its rays across the quiet area, interrupted often by the tall buildings which rose on the east side of town. The various grassy hills of the park were lit up brightly by the light, as were the leaves in the trees. Anything that stood upright was casting a long shadow more than twice its height. The streams that ran along the pathways were affected brilliantly by this light; the water sparkled and returned the light to the sky as it rushed along. Oddly enough, with the amount of clouds hovering over the city, it would get darker as the sun continued to rise. Though a dimming of light was certainly inevitable, the atmosphere was not in the least bit cold or representative of the weather those rain clouds described. A warm summer breeze calmly swept over park, passing through the trees and over the hills, causing the green flora to dance about.

It was completely empty, and the two people who had just landed in the park couldn't have been happier about it. Letting go of Starfire's hand, Robin looked around, trying to keep his attention away from the sky... It was warm, and the sun was shining; it would be a perfect day if not for what loomed above. He wondered if there would be thunder as well. Looking all around, Starfire took in a deep breath and felt the caress of the warm wind. As she walked, she absentmindedly swung the bag she carried back and forth, never able to contain her exuberance at times like this. It was a beautiful day, and she couldn't imagine anyone else she would want to spend it with.

Turning to Robin as they walked along the cobblestone pathway, Starfire smiled without restraint, "Is it not a perfect day for picknicking?" she asked brightly.

Almost feeling like the rain would come down at any moment, Robin warily swayed his attention to other things. Seeing Starfire's face, Robin immediately lost focus on anything else. "I guess so..." Robin trailed off, hardly able to remember what he was worried about, "Yeah, it's perfect." he answered, unable to keep from reflecting her high spirited expression.

As they continued walking, something came to Starfire's attention, "Robin... why did you not want the others to join us?" she asked. She had of course assumed he didn't want to wake them, but she had to hear it from him... just to be sure.

Robin almost stopped in his tracks... she was starting to notice. Regaining his pace, he decided he had to say something and quick, "Um... I..." he started. "Well, I figured since we were both up... I just didn't want to wake the others so early." he said nervously, hoping that the flustered feeling within wasn't permeating through to his face.

"Oh..." Starfire looked to the ground, seeming a little disappointed. _'But that is the answer you expected... why are you saddened?' _she asked herself.

Robin noticed the sudden change and wondered what was wrong. "But... I, um... I'm glad you were the one who was awake." he added quickly, "There's no one I'd rather be here with right now."

Brightening up once again, Starfire attempted to keep herself on the ground... Robin knew about the details of her powers after all. "You really think that?" she asked with gleaming eyes.

"...Yeah. I mean... you're my best friend." he said, realizing he had never told her anything of the sort before. Saying such a thing sounded strange and alien to him... but it was all he could come up with to cover for his true feelings.

Feeling slightly down off of her high, Starfire continued to smile, realizing she had no one else to blame but herself for that... she had called him her best friend many times before after all, "I see." she said. Starfire stayed upbeat as they walked along, supposing it was better than just 'friend'. Suddenly, she spied a picnic table positioned under a large tree; the usual spot. Happily taking Robin's hand, she helped him up the hill and made her way to the table, setting her bag down with a grin. Robin stood on the opposing side and smiled as Starfire looked through the bag, happy as ever; he loved to see her this way. "I have brought many of your favorite foods as well as mine, so do not worry." she said, placing a few things on the tabletop.

"You... know my favorite foods?" asked Robin, sounding a little bit surprised.

Stopping her actions, Starfire stood up straight. Innocently holding her hands behind her back, she blushed and attempted to avoid Robin's curious gaze. "I... pay a certain amount of attention to such things." she giggled nervously. Quickly, she returned to the bag, trying not to draw any more attention to herself. Suddenly, with the shocking sound of a thunderclap, Starfire let out a frightened gasp and pulled the bag up close to herself. Without warning, the clouds that loomed above finally let loose their downpour in a single mind-wakening instant. Large as it was, the tree didn't help to block the rain at all. Robin and Starfire were both caught in the torrent.

Walking over to Starfire who hugged the bag close and looked downward, Robin put a hand on her shoulder to get her attention. Looking around, he took notice of a bench along the pathway which had a small roof above it, for when it rained he assumed. "Over there." he said, pointing to the bench. Starfire, wincing as another thunderclap roared, nodded her head and proceeded to hastily walk down the hill beside Robin.

Both Robin and Starfire let out a breath as they stepped under the covered bench, proceeding to shake the water from themselves. It was surprising to them how quickly everything changed. The sun was nowhere to be seen, hidden somewhere above the rain clouds. A dense veil of heavy droplets tapped harshly against the ground beyond the cover, instantly soaking the entire area and splashing water into the shelter. Above them the raindrops could be seen and heard tapping against the thin and translucent plastic roofing.

Sighing disappointedly, Robin rested his hand against one of the poles which held the roof up, "That's just great." he said, staring resentfully up at the gray sky as a surge of lightning illuminated a section of the bulbous clouds. He could almost laugh at himself for being angry with the sky, but it had just ruined everything... there was nothing to laugh about.

Setting her bag down on the bench, Starfire looked at Robin sympathetically; he had lost all of his previous fervency. He had wanted nothing to go wrong... just like her. Looking to the rain, she saw that it was very heavy, but the air was still warm. The thunder rumbled, causing her to tremble slightly, but she knew she had long since conquered that fear. Looking back to Robin, Starfire took a serious expression. A little rain wasn't going to ruin things... not if she had anything to say about it.

Standing beside Robin, Starfire held her hand out from under the roof, letting the rain tap on her fingers. "Robin, you dislike the rain?" she asked, smiling.

Robin turned his attention away from the sky, surprised to find Starfire smiling. "Well, yeah." he answered, "It really gets in the way sometimes." he said, knowing that to be an understatement at this moment, "I guess we'll have to head back to the tower now... or wait it out here."

"On my planet, rain is such a rare occurrence that it is looked upon as a gift." Starfire said, retaining her smile, "We would often go several seasons without a single drop of rain. Those who cultivate food from the land would pray for a day like this." she added. Suddenly, she took hold of Robin's hand and stood in front of him, "Do you know what we do when it rains?" she asked, taking a step backward.

As he watched her take another step, Robin wanted to persuade Starfire to come back in, but she let go before he got the chance. "Starfire..." he trailed off, watching her continue to smile even as the unrelenting rain began to fall on her.

Starfire stood amidst the downpour and raised her hands to the side of her face with a grin, "Surely you have the sense to come out into the rain." she called to him above the tapping.

Robin Stared in disbelief for a moment as Starfire seemed to be no less joyful even with the rain soaking her. "I, well..." he started, looking up at the sky once again. The rain was so dense that it almost kept the trees in the distance from being seen. Seeing Starfire and her unshaken vibrance, Robin immediately asked himself why he was still standing under the rain shelter. There she was, happy and unaffected... the rain had done nothing. _'What the heck.'_ thought Robin, taking a step forward out from under the roofing. As soon as he stepped out, Robin felt the rain striking his head like a waterfall. Even so, there was something unexpected about standing in the rain... it wasn't cold, and it wasn't uncomfortable. The air was warm and it seemed to be keeping the rain at a tolerable temperature as well.

"You see? It is not so bad." said Starfire, stretching out her arms and looking up to the sky with closed eyes. "Have you ever taken a walk in the rain?" she asked, looking at Robin out of the corner of her eye, to which he shook his head in response. Turning away from the sky, Starfire's face lit up joyously, "Then now will be your chance. Come, it is like viewing an entirely different world." she said, starting to walk along the path.

Robin immediately caught up to her and began walking at her side, "So, how else do they do things on your planet?" he inquired with a smile, surprised to find himself asking the questions.

Hearing that, Starfire couldn't help but answer quickly. He had shared with her so many things about human culture... now it was her turn. Fervently pointing out various objects around them, Starfire began to explain the differences and similarities between their two worlds. All this time, Robin was hanging on every word, amazed at how her eyes and expression seemed to light up as she spoke, and made speechless by that radiant beauty he had come to know. The two continued to walk through the park, trading knowledge back and forth. Hours passed and the rain showed no signs of letting up, still shattering sporadically against the ground... but Robin and Starfire took no notice... of time or weather.

The sound of rain against water became clear as the two came upon a large pond. The surface was constantly being broken by the drops of rain, looking like an enormous pane of distorted glass. Creating a simple rhythm, the continuous splashing of rain sounded almost peaceful against the pond. The birds who called the pond home, flapped their wings and swam about the surface, ducking their faces under the water every so often. As Robin and Starfire stopped to admire the scenery, they felt the atmosphere suddenly warm up. Turning around, they noticed the sun had finally broken through the clouds; spots of bright blue could be seen surrounding the star which was now at the crest of its arc. The rain too, had finally begun to slow down, fading into a slow drizzle.

For a moment, Robin and Starfire just stood and smiled, letting the sun dry their now soaked forms. Suddenly, Robin's communicator went off; normally, he would be bothered by this, but now, he felt like nothing could get him down.

"Hey lovebirds." ...except that.

"Hey... Cyborg." replied Robin with his eyebrow twitching as he looked at the communicator screen. He was just glad that Starfire seemed to think Cyborg was talking about birds in the literal sense.

"Whoa." Cyborg's expression suddenly changed from amusement to wonder, "What happened to you two? You go for a little walk in that rainstorm?" he asked in a joking manner.

Robin and Starfire looked to each other with smiles, "Yes." they answered in unison.

Cyborg shook the confusion from his face, "Anyway, I just wanted to tell you guys that we're heading down to the party early, just to check everything out." he explained, "So the tower's gonna be empty when you get there." with that, Cyborg cut off communication.

Robin looked at the display once again, checking the time. It was already past noon... _'Were we really out here that long?' _he wondered; it had felt like much less time to him. "So, you wanna head back?" he asked, closing the communicator and placing it back on his belt.

Giggling, Starfire took to the air and held out a hand, "Will you fly with me, Lovebird Robin?" she asked cutely, obviously using the 'bird' part of that word to make a joke.

Swallowing his heart which had jumped into his throat at Starfire's use of the word, Robin took hold of her hand, "Sure."

* * *

**Author's Note:** :D Hehe, I can't wait to write the next one! I've had scenes from it floating around in my head since nearly the beginning. Anyway, that was a pretty short chapter, but it was really just meant to set up chapter 18, which I'm sure will be a lengthy one. Sorry for delaying it until after noon though; as usual, school can be blamed for this :P... darn GED tests.

**Next Chapter Preview:** The honorary guests head for the celebration, and their reception upon arrival is quite a warm one indeed. Cyborg and Beast Boy can't help but get their share of laughs as the plan unfolds before their eyes... but what is Raven hiding from them? Many surprises await the Titans at the party; a dance, a dress, a gift, and a confession or two? Day 9, Part Two: A Night to Remember.


	18. Day 9, Part 2: A Night to Remember

**10 Leisurely Days**

by Blue Ten

**Summary:**

Robin finds out that Starfire will be leaving for Tamaran in 10 days. Keeping his discovery a secret, he has a little over a week to give her a reason to stay. But when things keep getting in the way, will he even get the chance? RobxStar, BBxRae

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Teen Titans.

**Warning:**

Spoilers and creative license used for "Things Change"

* * *

Day 9, Part Two: A Night to Remember

Keeping a firm grip on Starfire's hand, Robin looked around at the bay as they flew, continuing on their way toward the tower. The sound of moving water below them was being drowned out by the heavy slipstream of wind. Though it was still blue, the water was already beginning to become dark. Waves curled and glided across the surface, some sparkling as they reached a height high enough to capture the sunlight. Taking note of the light, Robin saw that the sun was now more than halfway through the sky. It wouldn't be long now. Suddenly, Robin felt a little nervous; he had planned to do so much in a single night... he wondered if he could pull it off. As much as the mere thought of telling her seemed to make him tremble to the core, Robin knew he couldn't keep it a secret much longer, and he wanted her to know.

Smiling as the strong winds picked up her hair, Starfire looked to the tower in the distance. The walls that faced toward the sun were glowing brightly, causing the building to cast a short but dark shadow against the island and the bay. Above the tower, the sky was almost entirely clear, remnants of the rainstorm had drifted far off to the horizon. The sun was warm and the sky was blue, though both were showing signs of the day nearing its end. Knowing the night would arrive soon, Starfire felt a mix of feelings racing around within her; there was excitement, an undeniable anxiousness to dance with Robin and let her mouth say whatever it wanted... but there was also a certain hesitation in the pit of her stomach, fluttering around like butterflies. Their friendship had become so much more precious to her, and yet she still wanted to tell him something that could potentially ruin it all. Before she could think any further on the subject, her feet made contact with the roof.

"Thanks, Star." said Robin, letting go of her hand as he stepped toward the door.

"It was _my pleasure_." Starfire made use of a common human phrase with a slight giggle. Common phrase or not, she was being completely honest... flying with him was far more enjoyable than flying alone. Following after Robin, Starfire felt a rush of air pulling them in as he opened the door. As they stepped through the threshold, both found it very strange to hear nothing in the tower at this time of day. They had almost forgotten that the others had decided to leave early, though the silence quickly reminded them. Suddenly, something came to Starfire's attention; they were alone in the tower... and eventually she would change into that dress. Taking another step down the stairs with a smile on her face, she couldn't wait to see what Robin would think of it... also, she wondered what he would be wearing.

After making their way down the stairs, Robin and Starfire stepped out of the hall and into the living room. Just to their right, the waning daylight could be seen breaking through the large wall of windows; the long rays extended across the room and met the two head on. Both squinted as they turned to face the luminance, realizing it would only be a few hours until the celebration would start. They would have arrived at the tower much earlier had they not decided to take the scenic route home.

Taking out his communicator, Robin looked at the time. Tugging on his collar as he placed the device back on his belt, Robin turned to Starfire, "It'll be a couple hours before the celebration starts... You hungry?" he asked.

Suddenly, Starfire felt her abdomen let out a growl, realizing she hadn't eaten anything all day, "Oh, yes. Very much." she said, attempting to mask her slight embarrassment with a nervous smile. Looking to the kitchen, Starfire spoke up, "Shall I prepare something?" she inquired with a grin.

"No, that's alright. I think I can manage." he replied.

Standing in front of the stove several minutes later, Robin stared unsurely into the boiling pot of reddish liquid, watching as the meat shifted around with every bubble. _'You think you can manage, huh?' _he asked himself sardonically... He had never been a proficient cook, and this situation made him question his skills more, even for a simple meal like the one he intended to prepare. He only wished Cyborg was around to give him a tip or two. Turning around, Robin saw Starfire sitting at the table; turning her eyes away from the windows, she smiled at him. Nervously returning the smile, Robin looked back at the stove top... a second pot to his right was now boiling over. Quickly, Robin reached over and shut off the element, removing the lid from the top. Picking up a ladle, he stirred the noodles around and sighed with relief as everything looked normal. _'What was it that Alfred always said?'_ Robin asked himself as he turned his attention back to the sauce, _'Cooking is an art, not a science... or was it the other way around?'_ As it dawned on him that he was pretty much _winging it_, Robin pulled at his collar once again.

A short time later, as Robin set a plate down in front of her, Starfire looked at it and smiled as the flavorful aroma met her senses. "Wonderful! The _spaghetti and meatballs_, correct?" she asked, picking up a fork, preparing to dig into what seemed to be a perfectly appetizing meal.

Robin nodded in response, "Phew." he said under his breath. He was glad that she had at least recognized what he had cooked... he only hoped it tasted as it appeared. Sitting across from Starfire, Robin looked skeptically at his own plate, holding a fork in his hand.

Before Robin could even start, he looked up to see Starfire already halfway through her plate, "Delicious!" she said, stopping to take a drink from her glass.

With a chuckle, Robin looked back to his own meal... perhaps he hadn't messed up after all. Picking up a forkful, Robin took a bite only to realize how soft and gelatinous the noodles were... he had let them boil too long. Swallowing almost forcefully, Robin saw that Starfire was nearly finished. Either she was being... extremely nice, or she really did enjoy it; he hoped the latter was true.

Finishing up her plate after a while, Starfire took another drink and looked to Robin, "That was a splendid meal." she said happily, "I did not know you had such masterful skills in food preparation."

"Uh... me neither." Robin scratched the back of his neck as he looked at his half-finished plate, "Thanks though." he chuckled in spite of himself.

"I welcome you." Starfire replied happily in slight fractured english. After a moment, she spoke up again, "Robin..." she started, fiddling with her empty glass. Robin looked up to show his attention. "I am wondering..." she paused for a moment, not looking directly at his eyes, "How did you feel... about walking in the rain. It was not too uncomfortable?" she asked, hoping she had not made him do something he didn't enjoy.

Sitting up straight, Robin's expression brightened, "Not at all." he answered with a smile. "I think I'll be looking at the rain differently from now on." he continued, "Y'know... thanks to you, Star."

Immediately, Starfire felt her face heating up. "I am glad." she smiled shyly, attempting to hide her blush. Robin was the first person to address her by that nickname, and every time he spoke it she felt her heart race a little, knowing that it was a name he had come up with for her... a term of endearment.

Robin and Starfire continued talking like this for an unsure amount of time, both receiving their share of blush as certain things were mentioned. Robin was merely glad to have this time to talk with her... in their daily lives, it seemed such a rare occurrence to have some simple uninterrupted time together. Starfire too was enjoying the simplicity of the moment, smiling with nearly every word she spoke; she always loved to see Robin smiling as well. As the conversation progressed, Starfire happened to glance at the windows from the corner of her vision; what she saw caused her eyes to widen. The sun had completely set and only the light from the stars and a bright silver moon were present.

"Oh no!" Starfire gasped, standing up from her seat, "We will not be late, will we?" she asked worriedly.

Standing up just as quickly, Robin took out his communicator and looked at the display, "No..." he said with relief, "We've got about a half hour. There's still plenty of time." Robin looked up to see Starfire not much less worried, "But maybe we should get ready now." he added.

"Yes. A good idea." Starfire nodded. In a slight hurry, she floated off to the hallway.

Following her into the hall, Robin put his communicator away. Starfire seemed to be looking forward to the celebration very much, and that was reason enough for him to look forward to it as well. Keeping that thought in mind, Robin quickened his pace and turned the corner to his room.

- - - - - -

Waiting beside the living room windows in his recently acquired outfit, Robin looked up toward the sky. The moon was full, bright and silvery amidst a sea of tiny sparkling lights. There was not a cloud in the sky to interrupt the view; a perfect night. The ocean, calm and steady, near perfectly reflected the image of the heavens, distorting it ever so slightly with the small waves that swept tranquilly across its surface. As he thought about his plans, Robin had to steady his breathing; so much of it seemed impossible, but after tonight, he would know for sure... and so would she.

"Robin, I am prepared." came Starfire's voice from the hall, "I look... okay?" she asked.

As Robin turned around, he immediately felt his jaw drop when she came into view. The thought of what she was going to wear hadn't really hit him until now. Looking a little uncertain, Starfire stood a good distance from him, draped in a long white dress which ended just above her bare ankles. The silky fabric was held up by two straps which crossed diagonally above her chest... which had an unsettling amount of skin revealed. As she walked forward, tiny white shoes tapping against the floor, the dress swayed and moved as though it was barely touching her at all, simply caressing her form. Starfire took another step forward and as the moonlight caught itself upon her, the dress began to shimmer and glow.

Coming to a stop, Starfire tilted her head to the side, "...Robin?" she called his attention as he had not spoken for a measurable amount of time.

Shaking himself out of his trance, Robin looked up and attempted to keep his words from becoming gibberish. "Star, you look... amazing." he answered her question finally, closing his unlatched jaw. He wished he could have used a better word to describe it... but he knew he was always at his most _"articulate"_ around her... more so now than ever.

Immediately, Starfire's face became warm and bright red. "Thank you." she replied, turning her face in an attempt to hide the blush. "And you look..." as soon as Robin came into her full view, Starfire felt her eyelids becoming heavy, drifting into _daydream state_. Robin looked very... different; she had always found him attractive, but seeing him now caused her thoughts to become jumbled to a point that her mouth couldn't find words to speak with. Robin's outfit was composed of a pair of black pants and a simple white button-down shirt. He had left the top button undone... and somehow, that was where her eyes found focus. It was very simple, but it worked for him so well... "Ra'pnir..." Starfire finished, reverting back to her native language without thinking.

"...Huh?" inquired Robin, looking a little confused.

Starfire suddenly snapped out of her state of mind, "It means... um... good." she lifted an index finger in the air, giggling nervously under her breath. Truthfully, it was closer to the human definition of _handsome_, only a little more... descriptive, but he didn't need to know that. After standing for several moments, both simply looking at each other, Starfire spoke up again, "I suppose we should leave now if we do not want to be late." she suggested.

"Oh, yeah." replied Robin, finally coming back to his senses. As they began walking to the doors, a thought began nagging on the back of Robin's mind, unable to shake the feeling that he was forgetting something. Just as the elevator doors slid open, Robin came to a stop and looked back to the hallway, "I've gotta find something before we go." he said quickly, finally realizing what he had misplaced.

"Shall I help you look?" asked Starfire as Robin rushed off to the hallway.

Wincing, Robin stopped for a moment, "No, uh... I know where it is." he choked, starting to walk again, "I'll only be a minute." with that, he hurriedly disappeared into the hall.

Less than a minute later, Robin returned, tapping on the outside of one of his pockets. "You have found it? May I ask what you were looking for?" Starfire smiled as Robin entered the elevator with her.

In response to her question, Robin swallowed painfully, "...I'll tell you later. It's kind of a... surprise." he said, pressing the button for the garage without much thought. _'That's it...'_ thought Robin as the elevator doors closed. He had sealed the deal... now there was no turning back.

"My apologies." Starfire immediately tried to take her attention away from it. If it was a surprise, she wouldn't want to ruin it for herself and the others. However, Robin rarely ever tried to surprise them with anything, so her curiosity remained high. As the elevator chimed in the arrival on the bottom floor, something came to Starfire's attention, "Since the others have left, how do you suppose we should travel to the celebration?" she asked as the doors opened to reveal the nearly vacant garage.

"Right..." Robin trailed off, realizing he hadn't even thought about it... but then, thinking hadn't exactly been his forte this evening. "I guess, since we're already in the garage, I could take the R-Cycle, and you could fly." he suggested, once again without thinking; it would be much faster if they flew together, but... that seemed like it would be asking a bit much of her.

"...Um, Robin?" Starfire began to shyly tap her fingers together as an odd thought suddenly came to her. "I have always wondered what it is like to ride such a vehicle... so, if it is not too much trouble..." she trailed off, looking into Robin's confused expression, "May I accompany you?" she managed to ask. Quickly, Starfire started again before Robin could protest, "If nothing, it will assure that we arrive at the same time." she closed her eyes, afraid of what his answer would be to such a stupid request.

"Sure." Robin answered simply. More than a little surprised, Starfire opened her eyes to see Robin smiling at her. "There's enough room for two." he added, walking along with her to the bike's parking spot. As they approached the motorcycle, Robin picked up his helmet, noticing scuff marks from where he had tossed it on the ground that morning. "Oh... I only have one helmet, so I guess--"

"Worry not." Starfire cut in, not wanting to give up on this agreeable turn of events, "If something should happen, I will fly, and carry you with me." she spoke truthfully, knowing she wouldn't let any harm come to him.

Robin set the helmet down on the ground beside the bike, "Then I guess I'm better off with you." he said, knowing he trusted her with his life. After all, they had faced worse situations than 10 o' clock traffic together and managed to come out unscathed. Robin looked up to see Starfire just smiling back at him, a sparkle in her eyes. Quickly, Robin cleared his throat, "Anyway, we probably shouldn't waste any more time." he said, sitting down on the bike.

Still thinking about what Robin had said just then, Starfire moved closer to the bike, "Of course." she replied, sitting down on the seat with both her legs draped over one side; the dress made it impossible to sit properly.

"You ready?" Robin asked, revving up the cycle's engine.

To ensure that she wouldn't slide off during the ride, Starfire slipped her arms around Robin's abdomen and held on tight, "I am ready." she answered, resting her head slightly against his back.

Taking a deep breath to steady his heartbeat, Robin looked forward, nearly forgetting to input the access code for the doors. As soon as the doors began to slide open, Robin firmly gripped the handles, "Okay." he said, speeding the bike into motion. Though the sound of the engine drowned it out, Robin swore he heard a slight _"eep!" _from Starfire as they took off into the tunnel.

Watching as the stone walls quickly passed by, their features blurred by the motion, Starfire felt her heart racing, leaping around in her chest. Moving at this speed without the aid of flight was both frightening... and exhilarating. As the feelings became overwhelming, Starfire hugged Robin tighter and pressed her face against the back of his shoulder, closing her eyes. Never had she imagined she would find herself afraid of such a thing as this acceleration... It made her want to shout above the wind and ask Robin to slow down, but it also caused her adrenaline to surge; she was enjoying the rush, and that was what kept her from shouting. Terrified as she was, being close to Robin calmed her nerves... though her heartbeat remained excited.

Feeling Starfire's face pressing against his back, Robin eased up on the accelerator. As preoccupied as his attention was, Robin tried to stay focused on the road, though his thumping heart and Starfire's arms wrapped firmly around his waist managed to sway some of that focus. Continuing down the tunnel, Robin wondered if driving like this was any different than driving drunk.

- - - - - -

Bejeweled by countless shimmering pinpoints of light, the clear night sky was a mesh of pitch black and sharp white. However, along the stretches of sand, with the intense light of the full moon bouncing off the ocean, the sky retained a spectacular deep violet and lavender hue. The air was warm when standing still, but the ocean winds were crisp and satisfyingly cool, drifting toward the shore along with lavender-struck curls of water. The caress of the warm wind, the light of the moon and stars; both ensured a safe journey.

After parking the R-Cycle in a vacant spot behind the back wall of a medium-sized building, Robin stepped down and held out a hand to help Starfire off as well. Taking in a breath of fresh sea air, he looked around to examine things. Intense lights were being shone from the other side of the building. A long floor of concrete parallel to the ocean resided on the other side, as did a large boardwalk which stretched out over the water. The voice of a man, nearly inaudible at this distance, could be heard speaking above the chattering of a large crowd. Just to left of the building, Robin noticed a set of stairs leading down, guarded by a surly looking gentleman in a casual black suit. Several people who walked by showed the man slips of paper, proceeding then to walk down the stairs at his approval.

Curious, Robin scanned the many cars in the parking lot, looking for one which should have stood out like a sore thumb... though it was nowhere to be seen. "Hm... I wonder where they are." Robin furrowed his brow. Beast Boy had the invitations... and they might have a little trouble getting in without them if that "bouncer" took his job seriously.

"Did they not arrive early?" Starfire wondered, looking around as well. Before anything more could be said, a silver and blue car turned from the street into the parking lot. Almost as though it had immediately noticed their presence, the car drove around and found a parking space beside Robin and Starfire, it's engines and lights shutting off thereafter.

Stepping out of the T-Car first, Cyborg ambled over to greet his friends with a large grin and a wave. Shortly after, Beast Boy and Raven exited the backseats... strangely, Raven seemed to be a bit cautious about the placement of her cloak as she did so.

"I thought you guys wanted to get here early." said Robin, raising an eyebrow at Cyborg.

Cyborg chuckled, sounding a little abashed, "Actually... we came too early and they wouldn't let us in, so we all went for pizza." he explained as Beast Boy and Raven joined the group.

"Nothing like walking into a pizza place when you're all dressed up." Raven commented monotonously.

"Well it's not like you had to deal with it." reacted Beast Boy, pointing to his outfit. Beast Boy was wearing something similar to Robin, though his shirt was purple and he had the cuffs rolled up to his elbows.

Suddenly, Raven shut her cloak tight, "...But, I'm an empath remember? I feel embarrassed _for_ you." she said. Pausing for a moment, Raven attempted to find a way to take the attention away from herself, "So... you can guess how often I feel embarrassed." she added, joking in a tone only she could pull off.

"Heh, who said I was embarrassed?" Beast Boy responded with a grin, "You saw those girls at the other table. Couldn't keep their eyes off me." he said with a huge grin and a complete lack of seriousness. In actuality, he had been plenty embarrassed; so many raised eyebrows in his direction.

Raven's eyes could be seen narrowing under the shadows of her hood, "...Let's go. The sooner we get in there, the sooner we can leave." with that, she began walking toward the stairs in the distance.

"Was it... something I said?" asked Beast Boy, scratching the side of his head.

"You kidding? You know she doesn't like parties." stated Cyborg, turning to Robin and Starfire as Beast Boy followed after Raven. "Don't you usually wear a helmet?" he asked Robin, seeing nothing of the sort near the bike. As soon as Cyborg did the math, a knowing grin spread across his face, "Oh, I see. Well, I guess that is a lot safer than a helmet." he said with an unmistakable tone. Robin, unamused, simply looked back at Cyborg without expression. Feeling like he had done enough already, Cyborg coughed, "Well, no time to waste." he said, starting toward the stairs, waving for them to follow.

Taking in a deep breath as he and Starfire began walking toward the stairs, Robin hoped they could just slip past the crowd and find themselves a table without being noticed. There was no denying his intense nervousness at all that could happen this night. Robin knew he couldn't hide his feelings much longer. If this was really one of Starfire's last days on the planet... he had to at least tell her something; he owed it to her not to keep a secret like that. But he also didn't have it in himself to hurt her... so many _'what ifs' _were tearing him apart from the inside. Not realizing that he had come to a stop, Robin breathed hard and gritted his teeth.

"Robin?" his inner battle was immediately halted by Starfire's sweet voice, "There is nothing to worry about... I am certain everything will be fine." she consoled him, noticing he seemed flustered about something. To Robin's surprise, Starfire took hold of his hand and led him to follow the others, "Come, I will see sure that you enjoy this celebration." she smiled angelically. Led by Starfire, Robin walked along with a smile, his doubts and worries quelled for the time being; he could hardly remember what he was thinking about.

Standing in front of the surly "stair guard" Beast Boy came to a stop at the front of the group, "Um... I know I've got them here somewhere..." he frantically searched his pockets, sweat forming on his forehead as he realized what he had forgotten. Cringing, he felt the icy stares of his teammates behind him.

"Are you joking?" asked the tall man in a low growl of a voice. Suddenly, his expression softened and a grin grew across his face, "Who else could you be? Go on through!" he stepped out of the way, making room for all the Titans. "You crack me up." the man shook his head, hardly able to contain his laughter.

"That's four so far." said Raven with slight smirk, walking past Beast Boy and onto the stairs.

"Four?" Beast Boy stood clueless for a moment, running through all the things in his mind that could possibly have a count attached to them. Drawing a blank, he shook his head and began walking down the flight. Only a few steps down the way, he came to a stop as it hit him, "Heh, could've sworn it was just three..." he said to himself with a grin, looking at Raven curiously as he resumed walking.

"--and so we proudly present you with this award for your heroic actions." came the words of a man from just around the corner, his voice amplified by a microphone. After a moment, a large crowd could be heard clapping, then silence as the microphone let out a slight screech. "It's them?" the man attempted to whisper, though his microphone made him easy enough to hear. The collective murmur of the crowd followed his voice.

With a shoulder raising cringe, Raven halted just before the point in the stairs where the building to her right would stop blocking her from view. Stepping up the stairs, Raven backtracked and let the others go in front of her, "I think I'd rather be at the end of the group for this..." she said.

Curious, Beast Boy stopped and joined Raven at the back of the group, "Why?" he questioned.

Robin and Starfire, now at the front, walked the rest of the way down the stairs. As soon as they came into view, a large crowd could be heard erupting into cheers. "That's why." Raven explained, feeling a little better about walking forward now that she was pretty much hidden from view by Cyborg.

_'So much for not being noticed...' _thought Robin as he watched the crowd enter into a standing ovation. Looking out across the multitude of circular tables, Robin was surprised at how many people were actually there; many were just citizens, but others were police force members, fire department workers, city officials, and people he had seen recently on the news as well. Spaced evenly apart across the flat stone platform, each table catered to at least six people. In front of the building was a stage of sorts where a man with a microphone stood... it all appeared to be some kind of awards ceremony. Though Beast Boy was right, it was a party; a lengthy table with food was situated to the side of all the others, as was a large empty space where people would probably be dancing later on. Closer to the ocean, a single empty table seemed almost reserved for them, positioned right next to the boardwalk at the very edge of the crowd... it was actually pretty considerate of them.

As soon as Starfire came into view, the crowd seemed to become louder. Robin scanned the crowd with narrowed eyes; if all those guys were any more enthusiastic, they'd have been standing on the tabletops... "That's our table down there." Robin spoke above the shouts and applause, pointing to the vacant table... He knew the Titans were well known... but never had he expected so many people to be so happy to see them. It was unsettling, but also pleasantly surprising that they were appreciated this much. As Robin and Starfire traveled alongside the perimeter of the tables, wary of the crowd, Cyborg and Beast Boy slowly walked the rest of the way down the stairs, hamming it up, unknowingly keeping Raven out of sight in the process.

With the table in view, Robin let out a sigh of relief and began to take the final few steps. Before he could go any further, Robin noticed someone step directly in his path. With widened eyes, he immediately recognized who it was; that person he had run into more times than he cared to count over the last few days... Actually, it couldn't have been more than three times, but, to Robin, it certainly felt like a lot more. The young man's ear peircings were gone... but it was him, unmistakably. Standing still, unsure of what he should do, Robin wondered what the guy could possibly want. He figured from their last meeting that he wouldn't be any more trouble... but there he was, standing nonchalantly in the pathway... smiling?

Before Robin could say anything, Alex held out a hand between them, "I just want to thank you man." he said, keeping his smile.

Reluctantly, Robin shook hands with him, "...For what?" he asked skeptically.

In response, Alex pointed into the crowd to a table, "You see that girl?" he inquired. Looking past a couple of tables, Robin squinted, vaguely recognizing the girl from the amusement park. "Well, if I hadn't run into you so many times... I wouldn't have worked up the nerve to ask her out." Alex took a serious but still content expression, "It was all just coincidences. I wasn't stalking your girl... believe me." he explained.

"My... girl?" Robin gulped, knowing Starfire and the others weren't far behind him.

"So, anyway, I just wanted to thank you. I owe it all to those coincidences." enthusiastically shaking Robin's hand one more time, Alex turned back and rejoined Kathryn at the table; as soon as he sat down, she eyed him curiously. "Um...what?" he chuckled apprehensively.

"Who was that?" came Cyborg's voice from just behind Robin.

Robin turned around to see all the others, including Starfire, just looking at him. "Um... I dunno. Some fan of ours, I guess." he answered nervously, hoping that the others hadn't heard anything that guy said. Robin sighed with relief as everyone just shrugged it off and continued toward their destination. Sitting down at the seemingly reserved table, all the Titans simply waited for the crowd's applause to die down... it made them feel like celebrities, something Beast Boy couldn't get enough of. As soon as the crowd calmed down and turned back to the stage, the Titans followed suit, wondering what was going to happen next. Seeing as how everyone else's attention was distracted, Robin took this chance to say something, turning to Starfire who was sitting right beside him, "Hey... Star--"

"Now that the guests of honor have arrived, I hope they won't mind if we call them up for a moment to accept their awards." said the on-stage man enthusiastically into the mike. Interrupted by the man's voice, Robin tried not to be too disappointed, figuring there was still plenty of time to talk... better to get the obligations out the way first anyway.

Raven suddenly glared across the table at Beast Boy, "You didn't mention _that_ either." she growled quietly, eyes nearly glowing red; Beast Boy shrugged nervously in response. As the others stood up, Raven remained seated, now wondering which would be worse... being seen alone at the table, or with the others on that stage. Making her decision, Raven reluctantly stood up and followed after the group. The tables were separated down the middle into a hall which led straight up to the makeshift stage. The Titans walked up this hall, some hoping to get it over with quick, others simply basking in the notoriety.

After a moment, the Titans stepped up onto the platform; as they turned around to view the massive crowd, all were struck with a bit of stage fright. Suddenly, the night's designated speaker approached them with a friendly smile. He was a tall man with clean-cut features, wearing a plain black suit; the kind of guy who seemed made for this job. "Ladies and gentlemen... they need _no_ introduction." he said, causing many of the younger fans in the crowd to clap and cheer. As the multitude quieted, he spoke up again, "We hold this celebration every year to thank those unique citizens who make all the difference in this city; those people we call heroes." he motioned a hand toward the Titans. "But this year, we honor five young people for whom the definition seems inadequate." the man smiled as the crowd let out another round of applause, "Countless times they have saved this very city from what can only be described as certain chaos... without so much as a thank you to show for it." he continued. "So," the man turned to face the Titans, "This is our _'thank you'_, to our saviors, protectors, and heroes; those who have stood brave and true in face of catastrophe, the Teen Titans!" he chuckled under his breath as the crowd simply erupted with cheer, _'A little corny... but, whatever makes 'em cheer.' _he thought to himself.

"Wow..." Beast Boy was shocked into atypical speechlessness. In all the years they had been a team, never had the city shown this level of gratitude. All the others shared his reaction, hardly able to believe what they were seeing and hearing.

Starfire looked across the cheering masses in wonder, "Robin, this is simply amazing. I did not know we were so appreciated." she said, joy radiating from her expression.

"Neither did I..." replied Robin, still awe-struck by many things. It was perfect; if this didn't show Starfire she was needed on earth, nothing would.

"We'd like to present you with these platinum medals, as symbols of your heroism." said the announcer as he was handed several shiny objects. Walking over to the Titans, he distributed the medals among them; each had one of the Titans' names inscribed on its circular mirrorlike surface, as well as the city's official insignia. "So, would you like to share any words with the crowd before we move on?" he asked.

Grinning, Cyborg figured he had been quiet long enough, unable to contain himself any longer. Pulling his arm down to his side, Cyborg looked as though he was about ready to explode, "BOO-YAH!" he shouted, lifting his hand high into the air, glad to see the crowd driven into an uproar of clapping by this. All smiles, the Titans proceeded to retreat back down the pathway. Even Raven didn't mind a few kudos every once in a while... though she was still just glad to finally be getting out of the crowd's view again.

"That concludes the awards ceremony. There'll be music available by request, food, and even dancing, so stick around and enjoy yourselves, you might just meet someone who saved your life." with that, the man shut off the microphone. Retiring from the stage, he let out a deep breath and headed quietly for the refreshments.

Finally back at their table, the Titans sat for a moment, marveling at their awards. The personalized platinum medals shimmered brightly under the light of the moon. "This is just too awesome." Beast Boy grinned, looking at his reflection on the medal's polished surface.

"I have to admit... it was pretty nice of them." said Raven, setting her award down on the table.

"Yeah, and about time too." Cyborg commented, "How many times have we saved their butts?" he asked jokingly.

"What a wonderfully marvelous celebration!" Starfire exclaimed, examining her medal with curiosity.

"So, you're enjoying it so far?" Robin asked, seeing Starfire nod happily in response, "I'm glad." he said truthfully. The night was turning out to be perfect; Starfire seemed to be enjoying herself, and it was definitely memorable. He was still nervous about his plans, but that smile she was showing him now made his worries drift away...

Looking at each other knowingly, the others simultaneously decided to give Robin and Starfire some space. "Well, I think I'm gonna go check out that buffet." said Beast Boy, standing up from his seat, "You guys wanna come?" he asked rhetorically with a puckish grin. Putting his hands on his friends' shoulders, Beast Boy practically removed Cyborg and Raven from their chairs by force. As he watched his three friends walk away, Robin couldn't help but wonder if they had a hand in many of the things that had happened over the past few days.

Quite a distance from Robin and Starfire, Cyborg looked over the immense table of food, "Whoa! Thanks for pullin' us down here man. Look at all this stuff." he said, nearly drooling over the selection.

Beast Boy's eyes widened with delight as he noticed a section dedicated to his usual food of choice, "Hey, some of it's vegetarian!" he exclaimed, starting to scan the table for plates and utensils.

"With all that pizza you two had... how can you even think of eating right now?" Raven cringed at the food, feeling stuffed just looking at it. "Besides, don't you want to see if your plan works out?" she asked, pointing back toward Robin and Starfire in the distance.

Beast Boy stopped just short of filling a plate with every green thing available, "Oh yeah! Uh... be right back!" he rushed off, heading toward the dance floor. Seeing a bunch of tall speakers and sound equipment at the very edge of the spotlighted area, he continued on his way, taking something out of his shirt pocket. Approaching a large black desk which looked like a computer console, Beast Boy saw a man ducked down on the other side, connecting extension cords on the ground. "Pst." Beast Boy called the man's attention. The man stood up, revealing himself to be a teenager; with a clueless expression on his face, he turned toward Beast Boy and scratched the side of his messy dark-blond hair.

"Um... are you the DJ?" Beast Boy asked with skepticism. The kid seemed a little young... and out of it, to be a DJ.

"Yah, that's me little man." he responded in an odd surfer accent with a slack, open-mouthed smile.

Beast Boy shook his head; it didn't matter who the DJ was. "Anyway, I've got a request for the first song." he said, handing over the CD he had taken from his pocket. "It's track 16. Just, play it in about..." Beast Boy looked back to the table and squinted to see Robin and Starfire still sitting and talking, "Ten minutes, alright?"

"Sure, no prob green guy." replied the DJ, taking the CD and setting it down in one of the many players, "I'll get it started once I finish up here." he gave a thumbs up and returned to his work on the ground.

Beast Boy kept an eyebrow raised, "Heh, right..." turning around, he began making his way back to the food table where much of the crowd was now gathered, hoping against hope that the DJ was reliable.

"What were you doing over there?" Cyborg asked, holding a plate full of barbecue ribs in his hands.

"Hehe, you'll see." he grinned slyly, rolling up his sleeves and leaning against the table to keep an eye on his "victims" in the distance.

- - - - - -

"Shall we join them?" Starfire asked as the conversation allowed, pointing to the table of food, "Perhaps... you are still hungry." she said, looking Robin over curiously. She couldn't forget the severe state of fatigue he had been in recently. However, this morning had been a surprising relief; Robin seemed energetic and full of life even at sunrise. It made her believe she was just worrying too much. Worried as his well-being in days past had made her, Robin seemed to be fine now.

"No, I'm good." he said, satisfied with the dinner he had eaten earlier. _'Now would be a good time.' _he thought to himself, looking up to Starfire, immediately finding it hard to breathe, "Actually, I wanted to... Remember that surprise I told you about?" he inquired, feeling like the box in his pocket weighed a thousand pounds.

Starfire stood up partway from her chair, "Then should I not inform the others?" she asked, looking out toward the crowd.

"Well, the surprise... is..." Robin took in a deep and lasting breath, "It's for you." he said in one exhalation.

Nearly falling back into her chair, Starfire turned her slightly startled eyes to Robin, "For me? But... what is the occasion?" she asked, feeling her heart beginning to beat faster as she wondered what this surprise would be. What could it possibly be? Simply knowing it was from Robin made her face warm with blush.

"No occasion..." standing up, Robin avoided her eyes and attempted to ease the tension in the back of his neck, "I just... wanted to." he explained vaguely. Starfire stood up to join him; walking over to Robin, she ended up standing between him and the extension of boardwalk. As soon as Robin looked up, he felt his breath taken away. The enormous full moon was hovering just above the water, casting a bright silver glow across the ocean waves; Starfire was standing directly in front of it. Bathed in that spectacular light, she looked angelic, her white dress sparkling like the stars which painted the deep violet sky. Behind the bleaching veil of luminance, he could see a smile on her face and a whisper of pink in her cheeks. Her emerald eyes appeared to shine brighter than the moon itself. For a moment that seemed to stand still, Robin couldn't find a single word to speak, but Starfire quickly noticed.

"Robin, are you okay?" she asked kindly, unknowingly caught beneath the moon's halo.

"I'm alright." Robin finally spoke, reaching into his pocket. Many unsettling questions came to him, _'What if she doesn't like it? What if she hates you for it?' _they coursed through his mind, plaguing his thoughts with doubt. Even so, something was giving him the strength to continue... it was that beautiful smile, the same one that drove away his fears on so many occasions. Listening to the shifting ocean and taking in one last breath of air, Robin pulled out the small blue box and held it up for Starfire to see. "It's a present..." he said, unsurely pulling open the case.

Gasping, Starfire nearly jumped as she covered her mouth, immediately recognizing that necklace she admired quite a while ago. The cleaved surface of the small blue stone shimmered under the moonlight as Robin held the box. _'Robin has purchased you a necklace... that is not something a mere friend would do... is it?' _she asked herself, unable to unlock her eyes from Robin's. The more her thoughts dwelled on it, the more she wondered if Robin would notice her face had now become red as a cherry.

Noticing Starfire wasn't trying to take the necklace, Robin picked it up and set the box down on the table. Barely understanding what he was doing, almost as though his feet and hands were thinking for him, Robin held the necklace out and walked forward. Trying to avoid Starfire's eyes, for she was surely staring at him, Robin reached out with the unclasped necklace the moment he got close enough. Before he know it, he was clipping the ends of the adornment together behind her neck. Bravery gone, Robin pulled back and attempted to hide his irregular breathing as soon as the necklace was in place.

Starfire felt feverish and nearly paralyzed as Robin secured the necklace and stepped back. Looking down at the jewel, then back to Robin, she tried to find ways of keeping her feelings from getting the best of her; what she felt like doing was locking him in a never-ending embrace, or... She didn't care about the necklace, it was his gesture that sent her emotions into a frenzy. Finally finding words to speak with, Starfire delicately touched the tiny sapphire with her finger, "Was it not... expensive?" she asked, knowing the prices of such things on earth were nearly astronomical.

Robin shook his head, "No... I just saw that you liked it and..." he paused for a moment, "You... do like it right?" he asked, still unsure, as Starfire's expression was nearly unreadable.

"Yes... I thank you..." Starfire nodded, biting her bottom lip as she tried to work up some courage, "Robin... what does this mean?" she managed to ask.

This was it. Robin closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "It means I..." Robin trailed off as a sound began picking up in the distance. A soft melody; the beginnings of a slow song was coming from the speakers on the dance floor. Feeling a sudden rush of confidence, Robin looked into Starfire's eyes and smiled, "It means I want to ask you... to dance." he said, holding out a hand.

Heart beating as though it could leap from her chest at any moment, eyes gleaming as though they could let loose tears of pure joy, Starfire reached out and took hold of Robin's hand, smiling as though she had never truly smiled before.

- - - - - -

Beast Boy watched from afar as Robin and Starfire started into a slow dance on the boardwalk, "That's right... dance." he rubbed his hands together with an immense grin, holding back the maniacal laughter welling up inside of him.

Cyborg stood in disbelief with his mouth ajar, _'Since when does Robin have **that** kind of nerve?' _he wondered to himself. Snapping out of it, Cyborg looked to Beast Boy, "Alright. I never thought I'd say this... and I really mean NEVER, but... man, you're a genius." he said, causing Beast Boy to rest his arms at his side and grin emphatically. It was only now that the mushy lyrics of the song hit Cyborg, "So _that's_ what you were doing over there." he grinned down at his friend, which made Beast Boy shift out of gloating stance, "Heh, you're just a hopeless romantic aren't you?" he teased.

"Um--No!" Beast Boy retorted, crossing his arms, "I just got a little t-i-r-e-d of watching those two... so I decided to do something about it." he explained, though Cyborg didn't seem to believe him. Hoping to get some support, Beast Boy turned to his side, "You know what I'm talking about... right Ra--" he looked around to see the area void of any empaths, "Raven?" he called. Quickly, he looked back to Cyborg, "Where is she? She's missing it!" he exclaimed.

"I dunno." Cyborg shrugged, "She was right here, I went to get something to eat, and when I came back she was gone." he explained casually. "Come on. Did you really expect _Raven _to stick around for long at a party?" he questioned.

"...I'm gonna go look for her." Beast Boy turned around and began walking in a random direction.

"But, don't you wanna watch the rest of this?"

"What's the point if I can't rub it in both your faces?" Beast Boy chuckled when he saw Cyborg's expression falter. Walking to the very end of the lengthy table, he scanned the crowd as he moved along. Finally reaching the corner farthest from the ocean and the entrance, Beast Boy found himself standing at a point where the stone platform ended, meeting a slight hill which led down to the beach. Paying no attention to the ocean, he looked back across the platform, squinted his eyes, and scanned the various separations of crowd. Raven should have stood out, but she was nowhere to be seen. Nearly giving up, Beast Boy's eyes caught a glimpse of something. On the sands, just at the foot of the hill, was a single wooden bench; sitting there was a cloaked figure he immediately recognized. _'Raven.' _he let out a breath, starting to walk down the sandy hill.

The ocean water appeared dark purple in the shadows of the boardwalk, though it was lit brightly further out by the immense full moon. A gentle inshore breeze accompanied the waves which continuously lapped up against the sand. The sparkling stars above contributed to an oddly luminescent night. Sitting alone on the wooden bench, Raven stared out at the scenery, feeling foolish and stupid. _'What's wrong with you? ...What did you think was going to happen?' _she asked herself, shifting her eyes from the ocean to the sand at her feet, _'I don't know!' _she answered harshly, _'I just... don't know.' _Raven sighed, sometimes she wished her thoughts would just shut up.

Hearing shoes scraping against the sand, Raven turned to see the one person she felt like she was trying to avoid... "What?" she asked plainly as he moved closer. _'Why do you treat him like that?' _her thoughts chimed in, making her feel guilty. Raven felt strange looking at Beast Boy while he wore that outfit... sleeves rolled up to his elbows on that purple shirt; it suited him rather well. Rude as she thought she was to him, he grinned obnoxiously as always...

"What're you doing down here? It's not a party without you." Beast Boy joked, continuing to grin.

Raven sighed, looking back up to the boardwalk, listening to the soft music and the collective voice of the crowd; the light's shifted about and she could see people moving around at the edge. "Look, celebrations just aren't my thing... let's leave it at that." she turned her attention back to the waves.

"But, Robin and Starfire are dancing, you've gotta see it." he encouraged her.

"Really?" Raven smirked slightly under her hood, feeling like she ought to congratulate Beast Boy or something. "...No." she said quickly, "I'm done with the party... I'm fine down here." Realizing her cloak was separating, Raven hastily shut it. _'Why did you even buy it?'_

"What are you so afraid of? It's not like we'd leave you alone up there." he asked. Raven didn't answer. "Hey, I'm no more comfortable up there than you." Beast Boy suddenly spoke up.

"What?" Raven eyed him curiously, forgetting entirely about the placement of her cloak as she heard something she found extremely hard to believe.

Beast Boy scratched the side of his forehead, "...I get nervous around people. It's why I make jokes..." he turned away to avoid Raven's stare, "To cover for myself... get them to like me." he explained. Noticing the look on Raven's face, Beast Boy pointed to his skull, looking fairly serious, "Go ahead, read my mind if you don't believe me."

Raven sat still, blinking her eyes under her hood, "Why are you telling me this?" she questioned, still in disbelief.

"I told you because..." Beast Boy noticed something strange about Raven's knees, "What's that?" he asked, squinting his eyes at the black fabric.

Feeling her face heat up, Raven quickly stood up from the bench and turned away from Beast Boy, "It's nothing." she said plainly, breathing slowly in attempt to remove this strange feeling from her face... _'Blush?'_

"That didn't look like nothing." Beast Boy spoke calmly, trying as hard as he could not to prod.

"You're not going to let it go... are you?"

"Probably not." he replied with a chuckle, lightening the mood a bit.

"Then I guess there's no point in hiding it..." with a sigh, Raven lowered her hood, revealing her neck-length bluish-purple hair. Carefully, she reached for the gem which held her cloak together... making a snap decision, she unclasped her cloak and let it fall to the sand.

Jaw dropped as far as it could go, Beast Boy stood wide eyed and blinking. Raven remained turned away from him, looking unsurely over her shoulder. What had Beast Boy so shocked was the fact that Raven... was wearing a dress. From behind he could see that it was an intense shade of black, but the fabric seemed to sparkle ever so slightly, bejeweled by tiny amethyst stones. It was long, and nearly touched the sand; little could be seen of her feet. Oddly enough, Beast Boy found himself staring... the dress fell extremely low, revealing the pale skin of her back, illuminated by the moonlight. Her arms as well were bare, all the way to her shoulders where the dress formed straps. _'Cut it out! It's Raven... you're not supposed to be looking at her like that!' _Beast Boy ordered himself in thought, _'Try and stop me.' _he retorted. It was strange... Raven never seemed to like dresses, but there she was, wearing one that suited her extremely well.

After a few moments, Beast Boy snapped out of it, feeling like slapping himself a couple times, "Why... Why would you want to hide that?" he asked her in severe disbelief.

Raven turned around, holding her elbows in her hands, "You mean, it doesn't look... strange?" she asked.

"Strange?" Beast Boy nearly spit out the question. "You don't look strange, you look..." he trailed off, searching his mind for the proper word... but the words that appeared frightened him to no end, "...Beautiful!" he blurted, choosing the mildest description.

"...What?" Raven suddenly felt her arms shaking... _'It's not cold out here...'_

"I said..." Beast Boy looked away, "You look beautiful... you shouldn't keep something like that covered."

"Beast Boy..."

"...Well, what are we standing here for? We're both dressed up, why not make the best of it?" he smiled fervently, motioning a hand back up to the platform, "The party's waiting."

Raven's shoulders fell slightly... "You mean where all those people are dancing?" she asked plainly, "I can't dance."

"I wasn't saying you had to." Beast Boy's eyes shifted around as he began thinking about something, "But, now that we're on the subject... You... uh... you wanna?" he asked, immediately scratching the back of his head in sheer nervousness. _'Did you seriously just ask that?'_

"I told you, I'm not going up there and--"

"Then we'll stay down here." Beast Boy cut in, "We can hear the music just fine... So, wanna dance?" he asked, once again in disbelief of his own words.

"With... you?" Raven queried, her arms never stopping their trembling.

"You see anyone else asking?" Beast Boy grinned, holding a hand out, "Don't worry, I'll try not to scream if you step on my feet."

Raven put a hand over her mouth to cover the smile. As soon as she stifled her reaction, Raven took a serious expression and slowly reached out to take his hand, "If you tell anyone about this... you're dead." she joked in her own way.

"That's... fair." he said, immediately feeling himself pulled in her direction. Now much closer to her, Beast Boy put his free hand on her waist, feeling strange... but a good kind of strange. Soon enough, they were swaying to the music which managed to softly find it's way to the beach. Though it was nearly impossible, Beast Boy attempted to keep from looking into her eyes, all the while wondering about a certain feeling in the core of his heart. _'You're dancing with Raven... shouldn't that be... weird?' _he thought, realizing then the truth of what he had said to Raven's face... that he found her to be beautiful. What did that mean?

As they slowly turned about under the light of the moon, Raven looked to the side and recited her mantra in thought, attempting to keep the things around them from exploding. Trying to make sure her meditation was working, she examined the area. Something quickly became her main concern; several stones were floating above the sand, enveloped in her energy... strangely, that was all they were doing... just floating there. Turning her eyes away from the stones, Raven found her mind focused on their interlocked hands, and her own which rested on his shoulder; they were so close, it made her stomach flutter and her heart race... yet, nothing bad was happening. The more she thought about it, the more it became clear. The emotions she had been feeling, the undeniable uneasiness when he was near; it was more than just a simple crush... so much more. She couldn't stand him... and at the same time, she couldn't get enough. But history told her that he didn't return these feelings... and she dared not enter his mind to find out. Surely, he was dancing with her now out of sympathy and nothing more. But if sympathy felt this good, she would dance with it all night.

Before long, the song faded to a stop, as did their dance. For a fleeting moment, their eyes met as they pulled away. As he stood, letting his heartbeat slow, Beast Boy saw a smile on Raven's face... and she wasn't even trying to hide it.

Beast Boy chuckled, "See. That wasn't so bad, was it?" he asked, acting as normal as possible, though inside he felt direly conflicted. Feeling like she had just awakened from some trance, Raven sat down on the bench... her smile fading away soon. "What's wrong?" Beast Boy took a seat beside her, "Wait, I didn't step on _your _feet did I?" he asked, wincing as he thought about it.

Raven shook her head. "I want to... ask you something." she said wistfully.

"What is it?"

"Well... a while ago you told us that you saw... her... in the city, and at that school." Raven didn't want to hurt him, she knew she must be opening a wound, but she continued, wary of her words as she tried not to look at his face. "But... after a while, you just stopped saying anything. And you went right back to being yourself... How did you do that, knowing that she was right there?" Raven looked up to see something she didn't expect at all... a smile.

"Closure." Beast Boy put it simply. "During those days, I went back to that school... a lot." he paused for a moment, "But, do you know what I saw every time I went?" he asked. Raven remained silent. "I saw her smiling, and laughing, and... she was happy. I mean, she was finally happy." Beast Boy looked out toward the moon, "I cared about her... so, what more could I want than for her to be happy?" he turned back to Raven; the smile had never left his face. "I figured it was time for me to stop feeling sorry for myself. Sometimes, things change... and they change for the better." he explained. Raven was caught off guard by that; rarely had she heard Beast Boy sound so thoughtful. "But, why do you ask?"

After letting all that sink in, Raven breathed slowly for a moment... about to tell him something she never thought she would tell anyone, "I had to know... because... Beast Boy, I--" she stopped, seeing a strange splash in the water by the end of the boardwalk.

"What was that?" Beast Boy asked, standing up and looking out at the dark ocean.

- - - - - -

The music had long since ended, but Robin and Starfire continued their dance, unaware of anything else. Silhouettes in front of the bright celestial body, they swayed and turned to the euphony that played in their minds. Every now and again they would glance at each other's eyes, finding themselves too abashed to remain that way for long. It was a dance they never wanted to end, and if either had it their way, it never would; they would see the sun rise from this very ocean before even thinking of such a thing. Without knowing it, during this entire time they had moved farther along the boardwalk, away from the celebration and out toward the ocean.

Feeling like she needed to be closer, Starfire leaned in and rested her head on Robin's shoulder, unknowingly causing him to almost melt to the ground. "Robin... thank you." she smiled, blushing madly at the same time. As soon as the shifting ocean met the corners of their vision, Robin and Starfire were forced to a stop at the very end of the boardwalk. Reluctantly, they pulled away from each other, finally realizing how far from everything they had drifted.

"...For what?" Robin asked with a smile, feeling like he should be thanking her.

Starfire looked down at her necklace, "For everything..." she trailed off, a shy and blushful smile on her face. "You have been so kind to me... always, without asking anything in return. I am wanting you to know that... I care for you... more than anyone I have known. You are my best friend, but..." Starfire's bottom lip began to tremble as she realized their friendship could end here and now if he didn't feel the same way. Opening her mouth, Starfire tried to speak... but her heart wouldn't allow her to. Feeling pained, she looked up to the night sky, finding inspiration in the banner of stars. Turning back to Robin, she gazed longingly into his eyes as the words slowly came to her, "Robin... will you make my wish come true?" she asked, closing her eyes.

"...Huh?" Robin felt himself shaking in place as Starfire seemed to be drifting closer. He didn't know what was happening, but Robin decided to follow her example.

Overtaken by a rush of emotion, Starfire leaned in further, feeling as though the world was moving in slow motion. This was it; if her mouth wouldn't speak to him... she would find another way. She would let him know by that one unmistakable gesture. The sound of the ocean and the distanced crowd faded away, all she focused on was the moment; this deciding moment.

Robin could hardly believe what was happening... there was a haze before his thoughts, like a dream... but real. A kiss? There was nothing to make him think otherwise; though his eyes were closed, he could sense that she was moving forward as well. Soon, he could feel their breath colliding in the minuscule distance that remained between them. Every fiber of his being told him he was right... told him to seal the gap between them now, and throw all doubt to the wind.

"Robin!" called Starfire, sounding terrified, her face quickly pulled away from his.

"Starfire?" Robin opened his eyes to see Starfire bound by and struggling against strange glowing white ropes which seemed to be extending from the ocean. Holding her hand out to him, she pressed her feet against the ground in an attempt to stay in place, the ropes pulling her away with tremendous strength. "Starfire!" Robin immediately took hold of her hand without thought, and less than a second to act. At that moment, both were torn away, their feet lifted from the ground by whatever force was on the other end of those bonds. Starfire felt weaker by the second, hardly able to keep her eyes open, but tried to retain a firm grip on Robin's hand as they were pulled from the boardwalk. Without letting go, Robin kept his eyes on Starfire as they were both plunged into the ocean.

"Starfire! Hold on!" he called to her, both now being pulled along the waves at frightening speed. From here, he could see that the ropes were attached to some sort of vehicle.

"Do not... let go--please!" though she barely had enough energy to remain awake, Starfire used every last ounce of her being to keep hold of Robin's hand. Terrified, tears began to stream from her eyes as her fingers started to slip, "I am sorry." she cried.

"NO!" with their hands torn apart, Robin was dashed against the waves at bone-shattering velocity, feeling as though he was being struck by solid rocks. Pained and injured beneath the surface of the water, Robin quickly swam to the top and saw Starfire being pulled away in the distance... she looked to be unconscious. "Starfire!" he yelled, swimming as fast as he could in her direction though he was sure something had been broken when he hit the water. Thinking of nothing else but Starfire's safety, he tore his way through another wave; he couldn't move as fast as that thing, not with that dull pain in his shoulder, but he wouldn't stop. Without warning, an immense wave swept Robin under the ocean once again. _'NO!'_ through blurry vision, he saw the glow of the ropes exit the water and take off toward the city in flight, _'No...'_

- - - - - -

Robin opened his eyes and began coughing up water, finding himself being helped up from the sand by Cyborg. "Robin, what happened man?" he asked worriedly, letting go of Robin's arm as he stood up straight.

"How long?" Robin asked quickly, seeing Raven, Beast Boy, and a great deal of the crowd had come to his aid on the shore as well.

"Less than a minute." Cyborg answered.

Finally coming out of his daze, Robin's eyes widened, "Starfire! They took her! We have to go, now!" looking around to find the parking lot, he rushed off, pushing his way through the crowd. The Titans took to chasing after him, mostly concerned for his safety as he climbed up a steep and sandy hill. Finding himself nearly out of breath, Robin forced his way over the top of the hill and looked to the parking lot with sore and burning eyes.

"Robin, wait!" came Beast Boy's voice from behind, though Robin paid no attention to it and bolted for his R-Cycle.

Now on the bike, Robin started up the engine. Suddenly, Cyborg slammed his hands on the front of the bike, causing Robin to remove his grip from the handles, "Hold on! Who took Starfire?" he asked seriously.

"The Tempest." Robin answered, "Now get out of my way." he narrowed his eyes.

"They'll want her alive... believe me." said Cyborg, remembering his talk with Iron. "You need your equipment. I've got all our stuff in the trunk, just let me--"

"No, there's no time!"

"Robin, don't be stupid!" Raven shouted, turning everyone's attention to her, "What good do you think you could possibly do if you're not prepared? Get off the bike." she ordered him. Robin grudgingly complied. Focusing her hands at the trunk of the T-Car, Raven pulled it open and removed their uniforms with her powers. Encased in black bubbles, the clothes moved through the air and hovered above the three out-of-uniform Titans. With a thought, Raven brought the bubbles down on herself, Beast Boy, and Robin. As the blackness cleared, each Titan was in their usual attire once again, the clothes they had worn to the party lying on the ground in front of them. Beast Boy seemed astonished by the whole process.

"Split up! Search everywhere!" Robin stepped back onto the bike.

"Wait." Raven reached out and put a hand on his shoulder, "You won't do any good injured." After enveloping Robin's upper arm in a white light, she pulled away, "Now, go." she said, pointing to the city. Robin nodded and sped off toward the streets... he didn't know what he would do without them. Worried about both her friends, Raven watched as Robin disappeared into the traffic. Deciding to ask the others about their plan of action, Raven turned around to find Beast Boy looking extremely uncomfortable, "What is it?" she asked.

"I know this isn't the time to be complaining, but... I think you got mine on backwards."

- - - - - -

Speeding through the traffic, Robin cut his way around another slow car, unsure of where he was going. It seemed to happen in the blink of an eye; even so, thoughts of being pulled through the water were coursing through his mind... thoughts of his failure to keep hold of her hand. Gritting his teeth, Robin increased the speed, though he had no idea where he was trying to get to so fast. Looking up for a moment, something caught Robin's eye; a plume of smoke was rising somewhere in the city. The thing that took Starfire away had flown off into the city... Quickly, a horrifying thought came to his mind. Had it crashed? Breathing intensified, Robin tore to the left, screeching his tires against the ground as he entered into the streets between the buildings.

Robin looked around at the businesses to his sides as he sped through the nearly empty streets. The neighborhood was beginning to look familiar to him. Seeing the street where the smoke was coming from, Robin made the turn. In the distance, two fire trucks and several police cars stood in the middle of the street, just beside a building... which was up in flames. Firemen tried in vain to drench the fire, but it seemed too intense. As he came to a halt, Robin immediately recognized the building with wide eyes. Stepping off the bike, he ran forward only to find himself blocked by several firemen, who then recognized him and eased their barring.

"What happened here?" Robin asked hurriedly, looking at the building; both floors were lit up with enormous orange flames.

"Police got a strange call from the guy in this building..." one of the firemen spoke up, looking over to the burning mass, "We think it was arson... but we can't get inside. No one could survive in that blaze."

Looking angrily into the flames as several pieces of the building collapsed, Robin realized what this was. Somehow, in his sick mind, Grey believed he had said too much... and now, Starfire and everyone around him would pay for it. It was his fault.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I felt so bad writing those last few scenes XD... but I knew I had to do it; all these previous chapters can be considered 'the calm before the storm', and it had to end some time. The storm, of course, is what's going to happen next. Day 10 is the final set of chapters and will bring everything together, and even explain some tiny little things you might not have noticed.

Sorry about taking so long with this one, but it was 11,000 words... my lengthiest chapter yet. I originally wanted to write lyrics for that song Beast Boy requested at the party... but I didn't want to take any longer than I needed to.

**Next Chapter Preview:** The calm has ended. It all happened in an instant; without warning, Starfire was taken. Now, as the longest day of Robin's life begins, an old enemy will become a valued ally, the frightening intentions of The Tempest will be revealed, but the biggest surprise awaits the Titans deep within the eye of the storm. Day 10, Part One: To Brave the Tempest.


	19. Day 10, Part 1: To Brave the Tempest

**10 Leisurely Days**

by Blue Ten

**Summary:**

Robin finds out that Starfire will be leaving for Tamaran in 10 days. Keeping his discovery a secret, he has a little over a week to give her a reason to stay. But when things keep getting in the way, will he even get the chance? RobxStar, BBxRae

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Teen Titans.

* * *

Day 10, Part One: To Brave the Tempest

Tongues of fire illuminated the night like solar flares; the black shifted to a sickly reddish-gray as bright orange lights reached up to strike at the stars. Seeming vengeful and angry, the flames growled and roared as they viciously devoured the remains of the building's tattered carcass. Another section of the second floor collapsed, sending a plume of smoke and hot cinders into the air with a sickening crash. Streams of water continuously rushed from the fire trucks, clearing away patches of fire, which were only to be set ablaze again. Steam rose high aside the thick smoke.

Standing on the other side of the street, glaring at the fire through narrowed eyes, Robin remained silent. So _Tyrus_ was gone now? Robin felt nothing... absolutely nothing. Clenching his fists, he turned and began walking back to his R-Cycle, paying no attention to the events he was leaving behind. If this was the game Grey was playing, Robin wasn't about to play along. Stepping onto the bike, he immediately sped it into motion down the street, not taking one moment to look back on the _message_ left behind him.

Another minute passed by, another stretch of road and traffic left behind. He didn't care how, but he would find Starfire, and he would make that psychopath pay. As determined as he was, Robin couldn't ignore the fact that there was seemingly nowhere he could start on his search. Starfire wasn't carrying her communicator... none of the Titans were; it was the perfect chance for The Tempest to strike and Robin had given them that chance. Looking at the tall buildings and alleyways to his sides, the city looked like a labyrinth to him and Robin had never felt so lost... so helpless... so at fault.

As he continued driving, Robin noticed something strange, causing him to slow his vehicle down. The area was completely empty... no people walking beside the buildings, no traffic in the streets, as though everyone had fled the area; strange for this section of the city... even at midnight. In the distance he could see several people running frantically down the sidewalk, shouting indistinctly. Before he had the chance to think any further, a dark figure leapt in his path. Screeching his tires against the road, Robin swerved the bike, brought it to a stop, and looked over his shoulder to see the figure still standing in the middle of the street. It was something he had not seen in a long time... but it was impossible to forget. Most of the humanoid creature's attire was completely black, though portions of its legs, arms, and shoulders had been plated by steel armor. Its face was black as well, except for a small copper section in the center where small white slits for eyes resided.

_'No.' _thought Robin, glaring at the creature as it readied a familiar robotic stance. _'Why now?' _if there was one person he thought... or wished he would never see again, it was the man behind that sickening image. Without warning, the robot leapt at Robin from its position on the yellow lines. Attempting to dodge, Robin dropped over the left side of his bike, watching as the robot soared overhead with outstretched arms and tumbled across the street as it fell. _'Just one?' _thought Robin, extending his staff as he stood up, _'That's not his style...' _he eyed the robot curiously as it picked itself up and regained its footing. Without waiting for it to make another move, Robin rushed at his enemy and struck it across the face, sending it flying into a wall. Quickly getting up, the robot fled down the sidewalk, making a turn into a dark alley.

"What?" Robin glared, _'First it attacks me, then it runs away?' _he thought, staring into the alley. Keeping his staff ready, Robin took after the robot, knowing this was probably a trap... but if there was one person who would know something about what was going on... it was Slade. In the back of his mind, Robin felt as though he might even have something to do with it. But why now... after all this time, why did he decide to show up? Stopping his thoughts for a moment, Robin looked into the mouth of the alley for a moment. Wasting no time, he rushed into the blackness. He knew he was being foolhardy, but his feet, and mostly... his heart, wouldn't allow him to be slow.

The section of city was eerily quiet; only the sounds of cars far off on other streets could be heard. Warily, Robin walked through the empty back street. Various discarded objects lined the brick walls. Though in haste, he made sure not to step on anything, attempting to keep his position a secret. From what little he could see, Robin noticed the alley coming to an end in the distance, meeting at a point between several buildings. The moonlight revealed it to be a large open space... perfect for an ambush. Robin wasn't about to be fooled by that. Backing up against a wall, he eyed the rooftops and quietly inched his way around the corner. Hiding in the darkness, Robin scanned the open area. Just a few feet away, the robot stood outside the shadows cast by the buildings, unaware of his presence... scanning the wrong alley. Strange... the robot seemed... stupid. Holding back his urge to tear the creature limb from limb, Robin snuck up behind it, stealthily reaching his arms out. In one quick motion, he pulled it back into the shadows. An electronic spark illuminated the darkness for a moment as he severed the robot's circuits.

Robin let out a breath as he examined the fallen android. Slade usually left messages of some kind with these things, but there was nothing; no voice recording, no video... it just laid down and died. Standing up, Robin looked around the empty lot, knowing the absence of clues meant one thing... _he_ wouldn't be far. Unwilling to wait any longer, Robin simply stepped out into the light, brandishing his staff.

"Good..." came a calm voice from somewhere in the dark, "You know me well, don't you?"

Narrowing his eyes, Robin clenched his staff. That voice had nearly struck fear into him... but now, it only served to intensify his anger. Turning around, Robin swung his staff through the air, making contact. He growled under his breath as that cold gray eye stared at him from behind the shadows. His staff had been stopped, caught strongly in Slade's iron grip.

"I know you have something to do with this!" Robin glared, "Where is she!" he demanded. Hearing no answer, Robin attempted to swing a punch toward that infuriating masked face with his free hand. With that attack stopped, Robin found himself pulled into the shadows and slammed up against the wall, the force causing him to drop his staff.

"Relax boy. If I wanted to kill you, I'd have done it by now." Slade sounded no less calm. Gritting his teeth, Robin lifted his feet up and dealt a kick to Slade's stomach. While his enemy attempted to recover, Robin took no time in delivering another blow. Rushing up, he landed a powerful punch to the copper and black mask. With a grunt, Slade fell to the ground. Quickly, Robin recovered his staff and advanced on his opponent once again. Before Slade could sit up or even move, Robin slammed him back to the ground, pressing the staff against his neck.

"And if I wanted to kill _you_, I could do it right now!" Robin glared up close, pressing harder against the staff. _'Would you...?' _Robin could hardly believe the threat he had just issued... it terrified him.

"_I... know the man... you're looking for..._" Slade choked.

"What?" shocked, Robin loosened his grip a little. Slade took this opportunity to grab Robin's staff and kick him away. Propelled several feet, Robin tumbled to the ground, cursing himself along the way.

Slade coughed while he stood up from the cracked and weathered asphalt, "Now..." he stretched his neck, dropping Robin's staff which then landed noisily against a section of steel grating, "I have a proposition for you."

- - - - - -

"Um... sorry." Raven apologized after quickly resetting Beast Boy's uniform, a bead of sweat forming on her temple.

"Ah, that's better." Beast Boy tugged at the collar of his shirt. Suddenly appearing deathly serious, he turned to Cyborg who was standing next to the trunk of the T-Car, "What should we do?" he asked.

"We should split up like Robin said, but..." Cyborg pointed into the trunk, looking worried. Beast Boy and Raven joined him at the back of the car, unsure of what they were supposed to be seeing.

"There's nothing..." said Raven, pulling her hood on.

"Exactly..." replied Cyborg, shutting the trunk, "Star's things were in there too, and now they're just... gone." Cyborg and the others looked over to the city, "...I have a bad feeling about this." he narrowed his eyes. Before anything else could be said, the communicator on Cyborg's arm activated.

"Titans, I need all of you down here, right now." came Robin's voice, sounding urgent. Immediately, the communication cut off. Cyborg looked at the panel on his arm, figuring out where the transmission had originated.

"Sounds like Robin found something." Cyborg quickly rushed over and stepped into the driver's seat, "Let's go." he said, closing the door. Without hesitation, Beast Boy entered through the passenger door and Raven took a seat in the back. Now unimportant, their discarded clothes remained lying in the parking lot.

As Cyborg sped the car into motion, Beast Boy looked out the window toward the dark violet ocean. Perfectly on cue, several clouds had gathered over the sea, statically blocking out the stars, some finding their way in front of the moon. A great deal of the crowd now stood at the edge of the parking lot, watching with shock and confusion as they drove away. _'It's not fair...' _he thought. He never wanted anything bad to happen to his friends, and Starfire seemed the least deserving of such a thing. Beast Boy swallowed painfully, suddenly feeling a pang of guilt strike him on the shoulders... this might not have happened if he didn't suggest going to that party. In more than a big way... he felt at fault.

"Don't blame yourself..." came Raven's voice from the seat behind him, "There's no way you could have known... no way any of us could have known." she attempted to console him. Though she would never read any of her friends' minds without permission or viable reason, she could still sense the immense guilt emanating from his position. Despite her words of reassurance, Raven felt a certain responsibility as well... She was supposed to be the clairvoyant one, she was sitting right next to where it happened... and yet, she didn't see it coming.

Cyborg looked over to Beast Boy and Raven, then back to the road, contemplating the events that had transpired. Those few seconds before his two friends were pulled away into the water remained emblazoned on the forefront of his mind. The moment he saw those ropes take hold of Starfire, he dropped his plate to the ground and forced his way through the crowd. Though he tried with all his might to race down the stretch of boardwalk, his feet couldn't seem to move fast enough as both Robin and Starfire were torn away mere seconds before he could help. He knew now that each of them felt responsible in some way. That said, he couldn't imagine how Robin must have felt... having injury added to insult.

Taking in a deep breath and exhaling through his nose, Cyborg decided to keep up morale, "I'm sure Star's gonna be fine... she's strong. Besides, Robin might have already found her." he said, cringing at that last part. If he had found Starfire... in what condition had he found her? His communication sounded too urgent to be good news...

"You guys are right." Beast Boy brightened up, "I'm not saying we should stop for gas or anything, but... I bet Starfire's gonna save herself before we even get the chance."

"Uh, BB... She's electric." Cyborg replied, tapping on the front panel, "But I get your point." he smirked. As he turned down another street, something caught Cyborg's eye on the dashboard's monitor. "This is the place." he said, bringing the car to a stop just beside the sidewalk. After everyone stepped out of the car, Cyborg examined the area for a moment and looked at the panel on his arm, "In there." he said, pointing to a shaded alley between two tall buildings.

With Cyborg at point and Beast Boy in the middle, Raven brought up the rear as they all entered the alley in a line. Looking into the darkness ahead, she sensed something strange... familiar. A presence aside from Robin she couldn't quite identify... its intentions were difficult to discern as well.

Cautious as anyone would be while walking through an alley in the seedy end of town, Cyborg kept his cannon aimed forward as he guided the team along. Immediately, he lowered his guard as a familiar figure came into view. Robin was standing in the middle of an open space where the alley led, made visible by the moonlight.

"Hey..." Cyborg looked around the empty lot in slight confusion, "What'd you call us down here for?" he asked, walking up to Robin who remained oddly still, his expression seeming almost angry. Suddenly, from the shadows emerged a man they knew all too well. Now in the immediate light, Slade stood tall behind Robin, his arms held aft his back, that single piercing eye looking out upon the shocked Titans. Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven stood in stunned silence for a moment, feeling as though they were seeing a ghost. Quickly snapping out of it, Cyborg charged his cannon and held it forward, "Robin look out! It's--"

"I know..." Robin replied despondently, motioning for Cyborg to lower his weapon.

"What is this?" Cyborg glared, grinding his teeth.

"A truce." Slade stepped forward, now standing directly in Cyborg's line of sight, almost daring him to fire. "I know something about the people who took your friend." he spoke again, though Cyborg tuned out nearly every word.

"Robin, you can't seriously be trusting this guy! You forget what he did to you?" Cyborg asked, looking beyond Slade, keeping his aim locked tightly. Standing beside Cyborg, Beast Boy remained ready to change forms on a moment's notice. Slightly behind the others, Raven looked elsewhere as Slade's eye seemed to be keeping its attention on her.

"We have no choice. He's our only lead... if we don't trust him, we'll have nowhere to look." Robin answered, sounding as though he was spitting out his words in pure disgust.

Sighing, Cyborg reluctantly lowered his cannon to Beast Boy's surprise. Robin was right; there were no other leads... and they were desperate. "What's the deal?" Cyborg questioned as Robin walked around and joined the others.

"Just like last time." Slade eyed each of the Titans, "You help me... and I help you."

"If you're lying to us, your little... _truce_ ends here." Robin spoke up, giving Slade a penetrating glare to show he was being serious.

"I have no reason to lie."

"So... You know where they're taking Star?" Cyborg asked, unable to believe he was talking to Slade as though he was... human.

"No." Slade spoke in a sedated tone, his strange reply causing the Titans to raise their guard, "But I know who does." he continued, turning his entire person to face Raven who was almost hiding at the fringes of the group.

"What... What are you talking about?" Raven looked at him angrily in response, cringing as that stony eye simply stared back without faltering. Suddenly, Raven felt a surge of pain rush through her mind; various images and sounds began to plague her immediate thoughts. Falling to her knees, she held her head in her hands, gritting her teeth from the shock. Slade looked down without feeling, as though he was expecting this.

"Raven?" Beast Boy joined the others at Raven's side as she attempted to steady herself. Looking to Slade, Beast Boy stood up and rushed toward him. Grabbing the man by the collar, he pulled him down to his height and growled fiercely, "What did you do!" he demanded.

Slade remained unshaken, "_I _did nothing." he narrowed his eye at the angry child in front of him, "Perhaps you should ask her what she has been keeping from you." he said, turning his attention to Raven once again.

Shakily, as though he had only now realized what he was doing, Beast Boy released Slade from his grasp and backed away, turning around, "Raven?" he asked worriedly.

Walking up to Raven, who remained on her knees trying to quell the pain, Slade lowered himself to speak into her right ear, "Several days ago you came into_ contact _with a strange child..." he stood up, beginning to walk around her in an unnerving fashion, "Ever since, your mind has been assaulted by the voices of those who are like her... No doubt you have tried to pass these instances off as mere nightmares." now at her left side, he knelt down once again, watched warily by the Titans. Seeing this, Beast Boy felt as though he might be taken over by rage at any moment. "But these voices are very real, and you know it... listen to their sorrow... Your friend--"

"Hey!" Cyborg lifted Slade up by the shoulder and held him away from Raven, "Back off." he growled.

"No." Raven stood up from her position, keeping one hand on her forehead, "He's right..." she breathed heavily. "I never told you... but that is what happened..." she turned to face the others with regret. Before the Titans could console her, Raven winced as a familiar presence quickly came to her mind, "Starfire!" she shouted, her eyes closed, "I... sense her... far away."

"Where!" Slade pushed past Cyborg, "Tell me!" he demanded, stopping his advancement as Robin gave him a threatening glance.

"The ocean..." Raven answered, putting all the signs together in her mind.

"I saw them take her into the city. Are you sure about this?" Robin asked, attempting to look Raven in the eyes for confirmation.

"A ruse... to slow us down. I'm positive... I'll be able to get an exact location if we take the sub." she said, opening her eyes and finally relaxing her breath. Walking up to her side, Beast Boy put a hand on Raven's shoulder in an attempt to comfort her, though he knew he could never truly understand. Looking over to Beast Boy, Raven showed a thankful expression.

"Alright, let's move." nodded Robin. Paying no attention to Slade, he began to lead the Titans back to the alley.

Beast Boy helped Raven walk, surprised at her acceptance of his aid. Cyborg stayed at the back, watching Slade from the corner of his eye, "You're staying here." he stated plainly.

Slade narrowed his eye, "No!" he growled, running forward after them.

Quickly, Cyborg turned around and aimed his cannon directly at Slade's face, stopping him in his tracks, "Try me." he dared. Slade had never hurt him like the others... but it was the fact the he had caused everyone else so much pain that drove Cyborg to this point.

"I know the leader of this group." Slade remained unshaken, "I know his weaknesses... his faults. I can help you get past his defenses. It would be foolish to refuse my help."

"Why should we believe you?" Cyborg questioned.

Slade looked beyond Cyborg's cannon to all the Titans, "You know the monster..." he reached for the bottom of his mask, "I think it's time you met the man." Seeing what his actions seemed to suggest, the Titans looked on in disbelief. In one quick motion, Slade pulled the entirety of his mask away, dropping it on the ground where the faceplate tapped metallically on impact.

With wide eyes, Robin looked upon the face he had wondered about for so long... the face that had haunted and infuriated him with its absence. After all this time, simply standing there... was a man he had absolutely no recognition of. Slade's features were aged. His face described that of a man in his early fifties; short graying hair, leathery pale skin, and the stubble of a beard on his strong chin. His one eye was no longer as frightening... though an odd cobalt color, it was simply the eye of a human man. On the right side of his face was a plain black eyepatch, held in place by a thin length of fabric which stretched diagonally around his head, covering the area where an eye once resided. The Titans' greatest enemy, Slade, was finally unmasked... but the man was no less a mystery than the monster.

"Who are you?" looking back, Robin spoke nearly under his breath.

Slade stared down the barrel of Cyborg's cannon, no fear in his expression, "I died... and fought through Hell to live again." his voice remained just as low and imposing, "A situation like that tends to change a person in ways you could not imagine." he said, looking Cyborg directly in the eye, "My name is Slade Wilson."

"What's your stake in all this?" Cyborg felt his arm beginning to shake.

"My reasons are my own, but I will fight until my death to defend them. I can help you, and as long as your friend is saved, what do my intentions matter to you?"

Cyborg looked forward for a moment, contemplating Slade's words, "...Come on." he lowered his cannon and turned around, "We're wasting time."

- - - - - -

Distant splashes of water could be heard in the darkness, lapping up against stone walls. The room was cavernous, as evidenced by the echo of each footstep against the metal flooring. With a loud electric _clack_, rows of white lights across the tall ceiling hurried away the shadows, illuminating the underwater docking bay at Titans Tower.

Taking his hand from the light switch, Robin looked across the room to the large vehicle situated in a square pool at one end of the large room. The T-Sub's orange body supported five separate compartments where the Titans would normally find themselves when a mission called them to the water. Robin looked over his shoulder... the old man known as Slade remained at the back of the group, a certain determination in his eye. It unnerved him to know that someone who seemed intent on destroying the Titans so many times before had been led freely into their home. He had made a deal with the devil... for Starfire's sake; a fact that made him feel better about it, though he shuddered to think of what they would be helping Slade with.

Followed by the others, Robin walked along a jetty which led to the pilot's seat. Stepping into the vehicle, he said nothing and closed the shielding over himself, watching as the others entered their seats. Slade stood at the edge for a moment, waiting for the Titans to find their places; in one bound, he leapt over the water and landed in the last vacant compartment's seat, the shielding closing over him afterward. It was odd for the Titans to see such an aged man perform a feat like that... but Slade was no ordinary man, after all.

Starting up the sub, Robin clenched the steering mechanism, turning the machine around to face the exit. As he submerged the vehicle underwater, the mouth of a long circular tunnel came into view. Starting up the sub's engines, Robin sped it into motion through the shaft. The farther into the tunnel they proceeded, the darker it became, though the sub's way was illuminated by bright lights at its front. Water could be heard from beneath the shielding, passing by like wind as the machine increased speed. In one instant, the adjacent sounds halted, replaced by distant crushing currents; the open ocean.

Seeing the legs of the connecting bridge in the hazy distance, Robin directed the submarine toward them, "Raven." he called through the speaker.

Raven closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, focusing her mind on Starfire's location, "South-west, out of the bay." she opened her eyes. Raven couldn't ignore the fact that some fragment of Starfire's mind was now connected with hers. She wouldn't have known where to look otherwise, so she was thankful for that... but it was unnerving. Why had Starfire suddenly appeared to her...? She had never read Starfire's mind... it should have been impossible.

For quite a long time, as Robin guided the ship out into the ocean, it remained deathly quiet in the ship. Not even Beast Boy had something to say; in fact, his attention seemed remarkably preoccupied. Minutes passed and the continent was left far behind, invisible now through the fog of water.

Before long, Robin pressed down on one of the communication links, realizing with a sunken heart that it was Starfire's... "Slade, we'll need information about The Tempest. Tell us what you know." he said, unwilling to speak to that man any longer than he had to.

Beast Boy grew impatient as Slade remained silent for a few moments, "Y'know... this thing has ejector seats." he spoke to Slade, looking gruffly across the way to his compartment.

Slade furrowed his brow and paid no attention to Beast Boy, "The Tempest is led by a man who calls himself _Grey_. They are more of an army than anything else... I know you've encountered several of his... _soldiers_. They have one goal; quite an ambitious one at that..." he paused for a moment, "Purification; the total annihilation of every human life on this planet."

"What?" came the shocked reactions of each Titan. Suddenly their little ship floating under the ocean seemed a great deal smaller.

"All those except his chosen few... his _children_."

"How can they do that? Is that even possible?" Cyborg asked. A lot of sickos talked big like that, but none had ever pulled it off.

"Vengeance is a powerful thing..." Slade answered vaguely, "It takes hold and drives a person to lose sight of their intentions. Anger can shift focus from a single person to the rest of the world when driven by that blinding state of mind."

Though Slade was looking away, Beast Boy glared angrily at him through the glass, _'How can he talk like that...? After everything he's done.' _he thought, gritting his teeth. Turning her attention to Beast Boy, Raven saw the pure anger in his eyes... Seeing Slade again was bringing back certain memories for him; memories that can't simply be erased. She knew of course that it wasn't just Beast Boy who was feeling this way... everyone had a grudge against the man in some form. Close to the surface of the water, Raven noticed several small silhouettes pass by, rushing in the opposite direction of the T-Sub.

"How are we going to recognize this place?" Robin asked over the communication links, watching curiously as something quickly passed by the sub's lights in opposition to their heading.

"We should probably move up to the surface. There's plenty of light from the moon, so if anything's on the horizon, we won't miss it." Cyborg suggested, pointing upward to where a distorted silver light could be seen penetrating the dark waters.

"Right." Robin pulled back on the controls and the ship began ascending to the surface. As they moved further up, a large school of fish rushed by like leaves in the wind, nearly slamming into the shielding, causing everyone to turn their attention to it. The bright light of the full moon reflecting off of the open ocean became evident as the ship finally broke the surface, emerging from the waves to swiftly glide across them. To the east, a sliver of a sunrise could be seen as well. As the Titans turned their eyes away from the back of the ship, each was met with a sight that shook them to the core. Even Slade had to narrow his eye at what interrupted the horizon in the distance.

"Then again... I guess it's pretty hard to miss that..." Beast Boy commented with an open jaw.

An unsure distance away, swirling on the otherwise empty horizon like a tornado, was a massive tower of water, uplifted by some unknown force. Strangely enough, with the lack of cloud cover it couldn't have been a storm, though the wind that battered the glass and accelerated the waves seemed to signify nothing else. Surreal... like a nightmare, the colossal dark tower constantly hurled seawater outward as it twisted the ocean and pulled the waves to its peak.

"What... is that?" Robin glared out at the massive apparition. It was strange... the whole situation seemed so much bigger than Grey had implied with his threats. The tower stood like a demon, preparing itself to execute an onslaught... A sinister message; something dark and unsettling laid in wait. _'Starfire's in there...' _without thought, Robin increased the ship's speed, causing it to bump against and leap across the waves.

"Robin! What are you doing?" Cyborg held on to the walls of his compartment as the ship began to shake, "You aren't seriously thinking of breaking through that thing, are you? The ship'll get ripped to shreds!"

"You know any other way in?" Robin increased the speed even more. Immense drops of water began splashing against the glass like rocks as the demon in the distance grew ever closer.

"You're crazy!" Cyborg shouted over the constant noise.

Even more frightening up close, the water could be seen as it was torn up from the depths, looking razor sharp as it violently scaled the tower, making the sound of a thousand waterfalls. As the distance became critical, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven held on to the walls, unsure of what was going to happen. Despite the others' frightened attitudes, Robin, and unbeknownst to him, Slade, simply glared at the wall of dark water, daring it to do its worst.

Immediately, the rushing water slammed against the side of the ship, shaking the body and drowning out Cyborg's protests with a deafening crash. Within the swirling mass all light was nearly extinguished and the tremendous force constantly rocked the ship, pummeling it from the side relentlessly. Robin kept the ship steady as he attempted to guide it haphazardly through the torrent. Nearly as soon as it had begun, the sounds halted and quickly faded into the distance behind the them. The ship had successfully broken through the twister; several feet higher than upon its entry, the airborne sub soared above the water, descended, and crashed back into the ocean.

"Are we dead yet?" Beast Boy asked, protecting his head with his arms. Cautiously opening his eyes, he looked around to see a severely darkened area... shadows cast by the interior of the spiral.

As the ship continued to speed along, the Titans noticed the wind no longer fought against the shielding as fiercely; all had been brought to a deadly calm. Robin looked around the enclosed area, squinting through the shadows. Minuscule in comparison to the raging storm that contained it, a large dark object was situated in the perfect center.

"What is that?" Cyborg questioned, noticing the building-sized object, "An oil rig? ...No, we're too far out in the ocean..." he said, checking the latitude and longitude readout on his arm.

"That's where we're heading." Robin sped up the ship once again.

As the ship approached the massive object, it was revealed to be a towering circular facility. Several levels high, it extended up from an uncertain distance beneath the ocean, though at this distance from the continent, the facility would have to be floating. It's metal walls were dark gray and showed signs of age... it had been there for quite some time. There were no lights of any sort to identify sections inside. The building was smaller in radius toward the center, supporting a massive plate above, intensifying the shadows beneath it.

Robin navigated the ship around the facility's cylindrical base until something caught his eye. A sea-level platform extended out from a large darkened area at the foundation. The entrance. Pulling the ship toward base, Robin finally brought it to a stop, parallel to the metal extension. Before anyone dared to make a move, all examined the immense structure in frightened awe. With the click of a button, Robin raised the shielding from each compartment and the vast emptiness caved in upon them. There was an eery quiet, save for the rush of the twisted water in the distance and the splash of small waves against the walkway. Though the air was still, it was cold and chilled each Titan to the bone. Leaping over the gap, Robin looked back as the others followed him, Slade lastly, taking his time to look bitterly upon the dark tower.

"So... Starfire's in there somewhere?" Beast Boy asked, turning away from ship to face Raven.

Closing her eyes, Raven took in a deep breath and focused her mind on the tower, "Yes... but there are other voices as well... I can't tell where hers is originating from..." she finished, opening her eyes to look at the dark entryway.

"We gotta go in." said Cyborg, activating a bright light on his shoulder. With that, everyone began following Cyborg and Robin toward the entrance.

"Slade. What do you know about this place?" Robin asked from the front of the group without turning around.

From the back of the group, Slade looked up to the looming mass that stretched out above them, his eye narrowed, "I don't know what this place is..." he said, finally looking back to the Titans. "But Grey is arrogant and often overconfident..." Slade's speech reverberated as they passed through the threshold, Cyborg's light revealing it to be a long hallway, "I trust he has no security systems in place, or guards to protect the entrance. We should pass through here undetected."

"How do you know this guy?" Beast Boy questioned, looking at Slade from the corner of his eye.

"That is my business." Slade answered plainly, "You shouldn't waste time with such questions. Innocent lives are in danger--" with a loud thud, Slade was pushed back several feet, causing everyone to stop and turn back to see what happened.

"You're so full of it!" Beast Boy shouted, facing Slade, his arm held forward after throwing a punch. "How can you talk like that after what you've done to my friends! You make me sick!"

As though the punch hadn't affected him at all, Slade turned his head to face Beast Boy, an enigmatic look on his face as he walked forward. Stopping in front of Beast Boy, Slade looked down only to find the boy glaring back up at him, no fear in his eyes. "I have done nothing forgivable in my life." he spoke in his calm tone of voice, "Yes, my hands are stained with blood, and I have no regrets. So fight me if you must, though it won't change anything." at that, Beast Boy sighed and unclenched his fists, "I'm not seeking forgiveness from any of you, nor do I want or deserve it. My goal is somewhere in this place, and I will reach it either with you... or through you." Slade narrowed his eye threateningly. Hearing this, all the Titans readied themselves for a fight.

Beast Boy glared into Slade's cold eye, seeing it blink once, "Tch," he turned around to face the hallway once again, "Don't bother..." he spoke to the others, "He said so himself... he's not worth it." Reluctantly, the Titans continued on their way down the corridor. Raven walked beside Beast Boy, sensing something from him; whatever anger he had before was gone now... it made her wonder what he had seen in Slade's eye.

After traveling a great distance down the lengthy hallway, Robin came to a stop with the others as the corridor split off into three different directions. Here, the corridors were dimly lit by several small lights lining the places where the walls met the floor. "We should split up. Look for Starfire separately." he said, turning around to face the others; Slade remained a good distance behind everyone. "Beast Boy, Raven. Take the right corridor." at his order, Beast Boy and Raven turned to face the hallway. "I'll go left. And Cyborg... follow Slade."

For a moment, Cyborg gave his leader a confused look, but once it dawned on him what Robin wanted, he nodded in agreement, "Right." he said. _'Recon. I'll find out what he's really up to.' _Cyborg thought, looking back to Slade who didn't seem to have heard anything. He would have to leave finding Starfire up to the others, but at least this way he could keep a close eye on a potential threat.

Passing by, Slade looked into the separation of halls, _'Not that way...' _he thought. Looking straight ahead, he smirked slightly, "This is where we part ways." he said, walking on into the dark corridor.

"It just so happens that I'm goin' down this hall too." Cyborg caught up to Slade, "Got a problem with that?" he asked with an eyebrow raised.

Robin, Beast Boy, and Raven watched as Cyborg and Slade disappeared into the darkness. "Contact me if you find her." said Robin, quickly turning around to rush down the left hall.

Staying on their guard as they were left alone in the darkness, Raven and Beast Boy looked into the hallway. As they started on their way, the echoes of their footsteps sounded much more prominent than before, bouncing off the metal walls. The tiny lights that lined the floor allowed for vague illumination; hardly helpful, though it managed to give them an idea of where the corridor was going.

Remembering what Beast Boy had said to Slade at the entrance, Raven turned her attention to him, "Why did you... let him go like that?" Raven asked, "You looked like you were ready to fight him."

To Raven's surprise, Beast Boy let out a chuckle and rested his hands behind his head as he walked forward, "I know a little something about animals. You can tell what someone is thinking. It's all in the eyes." he said.

"And... what did you see?" Raven asked, curious as to why Beast Boy wouldn't still be angry after what Slade said.

"He blinked, right after threatening me." Beast Boy examined the hallway carefully for any turns, "That means he was lying... He wouldn't have done it, even if I pushed him further. He's not the same person as before... something changed him."

Raven smirked slightly, "You've grown a lot... you know that?"

"I have? Do I look taller or something?" he asked with a playful grin.

"Then again... I could be wrong." Raven rolled her eyes at his joke, picking up her pace, now slightly ahead of Beast Boy. Amused, she scanned around the hallway as they moved along.

"Come on, I was just--AAAAAAH!"

"Beast Boy?" Raven turned around to see his green form fall through the ground, his shouts echoing from a hole that had opened up in the floor; a trap. Quickly, Raven leapt into the opening and flew down after Beast Boy, holding her hand out toward him.

Beast Boy, too surprised to think of morphing into a bird, felt the narrow walls of the pitfall scrape against his shoulder, slowing him down slightly. Soon enough, the walls disappeared, and Beast Boy found himself falling into a vast empty blackness. With a metallic thud, he hit the ground along with the piece of flooring that had given way beneath him.

"Ouch..." said Beast Boy groggily, massaging his head as he sat up.

Hurriedly levitating down to the floor, Raven landed beside Beast Boy and helped him to his feet, "Are you... okay?" she asked, squinting her eyes, unable to see him completely in the darkness.

"Yeah, I think--" he stopped as strange noises erupted from within the shadows.

- - - - - -

Breathing heavily as he rushed down the seemingly endless hallway, Robin kept an eye on the indistinctly lit walls, looking for any turns or staircases. He had put on a strong face for the others, acting like he always would during times like these, but inside he was falling apart. The others didn't know what Grey had told him... the threats he had given. It was for these reasons that Robin feared for Starfire's life more than anything.

Looking up, Robin spotted the end of the corridor which led into a large room, brightly lit in comparison to the hall. Slowing down as he exited the hallway, Robin looked around at the cavernous room. The ceiling was extremely high and held in place rows and columns of lights. Other than the lights, the room was completely empty, having the same aged steel walls of the rest of the strange facility. Seeing another hallway on the other side of the room, Robin made a break for it.

Making it to the mouth of the hall, Robin stopped as he heard a familiar sound whistling through the air... in his direction. Grabbing the fringe of his cape, Robin spun around and blocked with it, knocking the noisy projectile away from himself. Deflected, the glowing green ball of energy struck a wall to Robin's side with a loud and ground-shaking explosion. Identifying his attacker, Robin let go of his cape, eyes widening with disbelief.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Sorry for delaying this one so long; between GED testing and several art projects, I had barely any time on my hands.

So, anyway. Yep, it's another cliffhanger, hehe XD. I'll leave you to speculate as to who the attacker is, but I'm sure you've already come to the shocking conclusion. In the next chapter, I'll reveal why Slade wanted to find the place so bad; I'll just say... it's going to be an interesting turn of events. Phew, just a couple more chapters and I'll be finished with this monster; I've never written anything this long before, and it feels good to have gotten this far with it; like climbing a mountain.

Also, I'd really like to thank everyone who reviewed last time. It broke the previous record of 26 reviews as the highest count for a chapter I've written. The count for chapter 18 was... (insert drumroll here) 27 reviews! Hehe, I know it doesn't sound like much, but my gratitude goes out to all of you!

**Next Chapter Preview:** Deep within the facility, Robin is forced into a battle with the last person he expected, but with his emotions holding him back, can he bring himself to fight? Cyborg learns of Slade's true intentions, and a secret is revealed regarding a mysterious child. Trapped in the lower levels, Beast Boy and Raven encounter the full force of The Tempest; and when Beast Boy becomes injured, Raven makes a choice that jeopardizes her own life to save his. Day 10, Part Two: Love, Blood, and Sacrifice.


	20. Day 10, Part 2: Love, Blood, & Sacrifice

**10 Leisurely Days**

by Blue Ten

**Summary:**

Robin finds out that Starfire will be leaving for Tamaran in 10 days. Keeping his discovery a secret, he has a little over a week to give her a reason to stay. But when things keep getting in the way, will he even get the chance? RobxStar, BBxRae

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Teen Titans.

* * *

Day 10, Part Two: Love, Blood, and Sacrifice

Not entirely stable as it floated aloft the ocean, a slight tilt remained on the facility, causing one to nearly lose their balance as it shifted, though the change was minuscule. The walls, made up of equal sections of metal, emitted slight creaking noises, like a ship adrift in still waters. Shining down from the high ceiling, bright white lights illuminated the room, reflecting their luminance off the roughly textured steel floors. Two corridors led outward from the massive room and were the only things to break the patterns set by the walls. Facing away from one hall, Robin stood shocked as the dust and smoke from an explosion settled to his side.

Spreading from the cloud, some smoke passed in front of his eyes, though it did nothing to keep Robin from realizing what had just happened. Hands shaking at his sides, he stared forward at the girl he had been searching for, the girl who had been stolen away what seemed like mere moments ago... the girl who had just attacked him. Starfire. Dressed in her normal attire, she stood at mouth of the opposing hallway. With her hand extended outward, imbued with pulsating green energy, Starfire's glowing eyes seemed rife with anger and malice.

Unsure of what to believe, Robin took one step forward, holding his hand out to her "Starfire--"

"DO NOT!" she growled in response, sending more energy to her palm, "You will remain where you are." she threatened.

Robin stopped in his tracks, "I... don't understand..." Robin found that he had a hard time looking into her eyes; they tore into him, void of any happiness.

"Of course you do not understand. You are weak." Starfire glared, "Or... that is what I am going to prove in the least." she spoke in a low growl. "I have been charged with testing your strength. Prove yourself here and perhaps you may join us by his side!" pulling her hand back, Starfire quickly hurled another starbolt in Robin's direction.

Taken by surprise, Robin nearly allowed the energy to strike him; however, on instinct, he took hold of his cape and held it up as a shield. As soon as he felt the starbolt touch his cape, Robin threw his arm to the left, deflecting the energy at high speed. Whistling through the air, it slammed into a corner near the ceiling where it caused an explosion, shattering one of the lights in the process. Orange sparks fell from the broken fixture as the room became dimmer.

"Stop it!" Robin shouted, his expression saturated with confusion, "I'm not going to fight you!" With every word she sent his way, Robin felt his heart breaking... He had never heard her speak like that. Frigidity, bitterness, hatred... all sounded alien to his ears when spoken through that voice which only reminded him of her innocence.

"We will see." without warning, Starfire took to the air and rushed toward Robin, holding one arm back to throw a punch.

Shocked once again, Robin stood in place as Starfire barreled toward him. As soon as she came close enough, Robin rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding her attack. Standing up, he looked to see Starfire growling in frustration as she regained her air, "Why are you doing this!" he questioned, backing away toward the wall, "Star, I--"

"SILENCE! Do not address me by that name!" growing angrier, Starfire gritted her teeth and floated backward, both hands clenching immense radiation, "Fight!" she shouted. Rapidly throwing her hands forward, Starfire unleashed a continuous barrage of energy toward Robin. The room was lit up in radial green light as she continued her assault, each starbolt slamming against the wall with a luminous and deafening explosion. The shaking caused many more of the lights to break, sending sparks down to the floor.

Blocking himself with his cape once again, Robin stepped away as the starbolts sliced through the air. His back against the wall, Robin felt the rumblings as dozens of blasts struck the metal. Starfire's angry growls could be heard through the cacophony. Bracing himself to be hit, Robin held his cape up in front of his face and upper body, hoping it would take most of the damage. Nothing. Though the wall continued to be struck loudly, shaking him as he pressed himself against it, Robin realized not one blast had come close to touching him.

Releasing his cape, Robin looked forward to see Starfire in a fit of rage, sending starbolts toward the wall... everywhere but his position. He figured she must have fired hundreds by this time... yet none had hit him; he knew she had better aim than that. Slowly, the barrage faded down and Starfire hurled one last starbolt which harmlessly collided with the battered wall--nearly red with heat at this point.

Arms hanging in front of herself, Starfire breathed heavily and looked to the ground, her eyes losing a bit of their glow. "Why...?" she fell to her knees and clutched her head in her hands, "I had every intention... every intention!" she shouted, violently shaking her head.

Letting out a breath as the onslaught finally ended, Robin looked with worry as Starfire began to punch the ground, muttering indistinctly. Cautiously walking up to Starfire, Robin placed a hand on her shoulder, which caused her to halt her actions, "It's because you wouldn't hurt any of your friends... It's not like you." he said, looking down. Starfire's hair had fallen in front of her face and her expression was unreadable. "I know you... and--"

Eyes glowing again, Starfire turned to face Robin with an angry glare, "You do not know me!" she growled. Immediately, she threw her hands forward and shoved Robin away.

Losing his footing, Robin tumbled over and fell to the metal floor. Standing up, he turned to see Starfire running toward him, ready for the attack once again. Taking out his staff, Robin held it in front of himself as Starfire threw another powerful strike. As her attack made contact with his staff, Robin used the momentum to step away, turning to face Starfire again. Clenching the staff, Robin couldn't bring himself to use it for anything else but blocking... however, he knew if Starfire didn't snap out of it soon... he might have no choice. Robin shook his head; just the thought of doing anything to hurt her... again... made him want to drop his weapon... He would rather die.

As Starfire came toward him again, Robin simply repeated his blocking and stepped away... seeing the frustration growing in her eyes as he did so. He had to do something... but perhaps fighting wasn't going to help at all. Blocking another blow, Robin looked Starfire in the eyes, "When you were young, you went through hardships for the good of your people." he started, unsure of what this would accomplish. As if it angered her further, Starfire threw another punch, partially bending the staff as Robin blocked. "You didn't want it, but you knew it would save lives, so you went through it all in spite of yourself... that's who you are."

"Stop!" Starfire shouted, attempting to tackle Robin, though he quickly stepped out of the way.

"Your sister... it was her fault. But you couldn't find it in yourself to be angry with her... because you believed anyone can change." he continued, watching as Starfire regained her footing.

"Enough!" something aside from anger appeared in Starfire's expression. Not letting it affect her for long, Starfire rushed at her opponent once again.

Robin noticed exhaustion in Starfire's movements, but most importantly... hesitation. Dodging another attack, he turned again to face her, "You met us--"

"No!" Starfire shouted. Stopping her advancement, she began to back away.

"You said yourself... that we were your first true friends... You're the kindest person I've ever known, and the strongest."

"I told you..." Starfire shook her head, taking several steps back.

"We... I care about you too much. If I ever hurt you, I would never forgive myself." looking directly into her eyes, which had now lost their glow, Robin retracted his staff and placed it back in his belt. "I promised myself... never again. And that's a promise I intend to keep."

Seeing him put away his weapon, Starfire's eyes struck aglow once more, "Then you are a fool!" she said, readying herself. Growling, Starfire rushed forward, feet tapping rapidly against the metal floor.

"You know me better than anyone."

- - - - - -

A bright white light bounced across the cold metal walls, illuminating the immediate area, but keeping the distance an imposing pitch black. As two figures navigated the length, the quiet was interrupted periodically by the creaking of metal and strange rumblings from deep within the facility... like muffled explosions. However, the tremors quickly came to an end and made way for an eerie silence once again.

Though appearing perfectly still to the eye, the ground felt as though it had a shifting tilt to it. Cyborg attempted to keep his balance as his feet tapped against the metal floor. Looking around the hall, he noticed that the corridor he was walking through was quite different from the look of the entrance and other hallways, made evident by the flights of stairs he had traveled up while following Slade. All this made him wonder how Slade had any idea where he was going. Cyborg looked at the back of the man's head; the length of fabric from his eyepatch stretched around diagonally over his nearly white hair. Slade knew the leader of this organization somehow... in that, he must have also known where his goal was just by the look of the area, though he had never entered the place before. Slade obviously had a lot more up his sleeves than supernatural strength...

"Where does this corridor lead?" Cyborg asked, shining the light from his shoulder forward.

"Not to your friend, I'm sure of it." Slade answered simply, taking an inquisitive look at the walls as he passed them by.

"We'll see about that." Cyborg replied... though he had a sneaking suspicion Slade was telling the truth. "I thought you said you didn't know what this place was... How do you know your way around?" he questioned, attempting to confirm his previous deductions.

Slade let out a low chuckle, "What are you doing? Trying to figure out why I'm here?" he asked. Cyborg didn't answer. "Fine. I'll play along." Slade started, sounding amused in his own way, "As I said before, I know the leader of this group. He designed this place, and so it is like walking through his mind. I need only understand his thought processes to discover the route to my goal." Slade looked forward into the darkness, sounding serious as ever.

"And what is your goal?" Cyborg inquired skeptically. Though Slade had convinced him back in the city, Cyborg still had his doubts about Slade's purpose in coming to this place... _'Why did he want to get here so bad?' _he wondered, thoughts of malicious intent running through his mind. Slade didn't respond to the question, simply looking over his shoulder at Cyborg with his good eye.

Suddenly, an unsettling thought came to Cyborg's mind. Slade had mentioned that The Tempest wanted to... destroy every human life on the planet; perhaps he was looking for the source of this threat... "You said they want _purification_..." he started, thinking of the type of psychopath it takes to use _'purification'_ in that context, "How are they gonna pull that off...?"

"I only know that this threat is real and should not be taken lightly. Grey is determined beyond rational thought... he'll find a way."

"Hm..." Cyborg swallowed hard. If that was true, then there was more to be done here than simply finding Starfire... they would need to put a stop to this _purification_, whatever it is. In the distance, Cyborg noticed the hall coming to an end. A steel wall reaching all the way up to the ceiling barred their path; doors of some kind.

Walking up to the doors, Slade pressed his hands against and examined them. "Thick..." he said, tapping against the metal to hear a solid knock. To the side of the door resided a panel flat against the wall, numbered buttons and a display on its surface. As Slade tapped something into the keypad, the screen lit up, reading, "Access Denied" in bold red letters. Grunting under his breath as he grew impatient, Slade found the place where the two doors met. Surprising Cyborg, Slade slammed his fingers between the doors, separating them slightly which allowed a bright light to pass through. Gritting his teeth, Slade growled as he attempted to force the entryway open. The doors let out loud creaking sounds and shook as they resisted his force... even still, Slade put all his strength into it, increasing the gap. The stream of light continued to shine through, cutting its way down the shadowy hall.

"Cool it..." said Cyborg, walking over to the panel by the door. Slade simply continued as though hadn't heard anything. Detaching the panel, Cyborg looked at the wires and circuit board beneath it. As something caught his eye, Cyborg extended a device from his finger; reaching into the panel, he fried a section of the board. With a spark and fizzing noise from the panel, the doors slid quickly open, flooding the hallway in a blinding white light. Slade, nearly falling through the threshold in surprise, caught himself and squinted as he looked into the room. Stepping away from the panel, Cyborg held a hand in front of his face, attempting to examine what resided in the bleaching radiance.

As the two intruders' eyes adjusted to the light, the room was revealed to be large and circular in structure. The steel floor was empty in its center, except for a strange metal table, positioned at a slanted angle to the ground... it's purpose unknown, though it appeared to have restraining mechanisms. A single row of computer consoles lined the walls and conformed to the cylindrical design of the room, screens and buttons blinking with multicolored lights. The ceiling was far above, and housed many bright lights, the heat from which could be felt beaming down, warm against the skin. However, the most noticeable thing in the large room was a tall steel section situated on the opposing wall from the door, splitting the row of computers down the center; to it's sides were an equal amount of large glass tubes which climbed the wall from below the floor and on through the ceiling... some manner of white gas running upward through them. The table in the center of the room faced this spectacle as though someone would be watching while strapped to it...

Cyborg watched as Slade seemed to grow more determined by the second, his eye widening as he looked upon the strange room. Without saying anything, Slade began to walk along the walls, examining the computers with narrowed eyes. Though he knew he had to keep an eye on Slade, Cyborg was intent on discovering the purpose of this room. Watching Slade from the corner of his eye, Cyborg traveled past the metal table to the large metal slab which rested against the wall... what caught his attention though was the columns of glass tubing.

"What the..." Cyborg trailed off as he saw the wispy white gas flowing upward through the tubes, illuminated to a glow by the bright light. Looking to his right, he saw that Slade was examining the tubes as well... though looking rather angry. Pressing his hand against the tube, Cyborg knew that some of the gas would have permeated through the glass and condensed on the outside. Taking his hand away, Cyborg looked at the display on his arm as his systems examined the chemical composition.

"Do you know what it is...?" Slade asked from his side of the room.

"Just a--" Cyborg cut himself off and widened his eye as he looked at the results, "It's some kinda DNA mutagen... If this readout is right, the chemical combines with cells in the human body and reproduces itself until it becomes a part of the host... symbiotic." he explained. "I'm just glad this ain't my real hand..." he said, looking at his robotic hand which shook at the thought of what could have happened, "If it was... I'd probably be _infected_ by now..."

"What--"

"Does it do?" Cyborg finished Slade's question... the fact that _Slade _was asking questions left him slightly unnerved... _he _never had questions. Cyborg narrowed his eye at the display, "The changes would depend on the subject's DNA... so mutations would vary, but it looks like it also has enhancing capabilities. Strength, intelligence... who knows what else."

With a growl, Slade slammed a fist against the metal slab, "So that's his game is it?" he said, turning around to face the computer consoles again, glancing at the restraining table, "Fool..." he muttered. As he approached one of the computer screens, Slade saw that it seemed to be monitoring life signs... within the steel slab. Becoming almost frantic, Slade searched the keypad below the screen until he found one marked, "Open." Pressing the button, Slade turned around to face the metal slab as sounds of released air pressure erupted from its position. Both Cyborg and Slade were stricken with shock at what they saw.

The bottom half of the slab split into two sections of metal and slid apart from each other like doors. What the parted obstructions revealed... was the real surprise. A figure was suspended behind a glass case, floating in a clear liquid. The person wore peculiar clothes; a closed purple vest under which was a shirt with long white sleeves and a portion that covered his neck, black pants, and purple boots. Though it was obviously a young boy, his face was obscured--encased--in a metal mask with two small eye holes; part of it was connected to the top half of the slab by thick wires. Despite the facial obstruction, Cyborg couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen this person before.

Wrath written across his face, Slade turned back to the computer console and began frantically tapping away at the buttons. When nothing seemed to work he lifted a clenched fist high into the air. Gritting his teeth, Slade slammed his fist through the console in pure anger, visible surges of electricity and sparks flying from the broken machine thereafter. Breathing heavily, Slade looked up as the lights dimmed; turning red, they began to pulse on and off in a slow pattern.

"Hey! What did you--" Cyborg stopped as cold air rushed from the glass display in clouds of fog. The glass split and slid open to join the metal sections that once covered them. The liquid quickly rushed from the case and began to flow through a drain on the floor beneath the restraining table. With the sound of metal unlatching, the boy inside the case fell from the mask and landed front-first on the metal floor.

Cyborg looked at the face... curly blond hair... sideburns... Though the boy's eyes were closed, Cyborg immediately recognized him, "Jericho...?" he asked himself in disbelief. Seeing Slade, who looked pale as he stared at the defenseless child on the ground, Cyborg leapt into action. Standing between Slade and Jericho, Cyborg charged and aimed his cannon forward, "You gonna tell me just what the heck is goin' on here?" he demanded looking over his shoulder at the seemingly lifeless Jericho. "What do you want with Jericho?" he asked, "He helped us take down the brotherhood... he's a Titan!"

Teeth clenched, Slade grabbed Cyborg's cannon and shoulder without warning; just as quickly, he shoved Cyborg to the side, "Get out of my way!" he shouted.

Without falling, Cyborg regained his footing and looked back. Slade had knelt down and was now attempting to hold Jericho upright.

"Joseph...?" Slade looked down at the boy's face, "What did he do to you?" he asked, starting to breathe heavily. Aside from the obvious anger in his expression, there was something else... sadness... regret, deep in his voice. Slade shook Jericho once. No response. "Wake up... please..." all anger suddenly disappeared from Slade's face, replaced quickly by the sorrow he seemed to be trying to withhold, "I'm sorry." he spoke, shaking his head. "Everything... it's always my fault." Slade put his free hand on Jericho's neck, "I failed you once..." taking his hand away, he looked intently at the boy's face, "I swear I won't fail you again." Slade's eye became glassy. "Not again..."

Now kneeling down beside Jericho as well, Cyborg picked up his hand and checked the pulse, "Don't worry, he's alive... but he seems to have been put into some extended state of sleep." he said, seeing slight relief in Slade's expression. Looking like he regretted saying what he did, Slade stood up, holding Jericho in his arms. Cyborg looked at their faces... the similarities couldn't be ignored, "He's your son... isn't he?" he asked. Slade said nothing. "That's why you wanted to get here... you wanted to save him."

"Enough... there's more to be done. We have to destroy this place." said Slade, looking up at the flashing red lights.

"What--" Cyborg stopped, interrupted by the sound of his communicator activating.

- - - - - -

Without thought, Beast Boy and Raven huddled close to each other in the darkness, intimidated by the strange sounds that saturated the shadows... whispers, voices. Clutching the shoulder he landed on, Beast Boy eyed the blackness carefully; with what little light that bounced down through the pitfall, he could see many figures shifting about. Raven, keeping hold of Beast Boy, wary of the sound he had made on impact with the ground, sensed beings in the immediate area... frightening thoughts ran from their minds straight to hers.

"Peekaboo," spoke a familiar squeaky voice, causing the other sounds to halt. Suddenly, with a loud reverberating clack, the area was flooded by blinding light; rows and columns progressively illuminated themselves across what was revealed to be the ceiling of a cavernous room. Eyes stinging from the sudden change, Beast Boy and Raven squinted as the numerous figures faded into view... one in particular caught their eyes. Gizmo stood by a large door; propped up by his pack's mechanical limbs, he grinned and held a remote in his hands, "..._We see you_." he said in a creepy manner, dropping the remote to the ground, which he had presumably used to activate the lights. Quickly, two of his teammates joined him by his side; Jinx and Mammoth... both looked just as _happy_.

Beast Boy gulped as he looked all around himself and Raven. They were completely surrounded... by a group of children and teenagers too numerous and varied to keep an eye on any one. Even so... Beast Boy looked to his right to see an especially chilling image; a thin and lanky young man with long black hair and sharp teeth eyed them with a psychotic look in his white eyes. The most imposing thing about him was not his expression, but the two long blades which extended seemingly from under the flesh of each finger... straight down to the ground where they made an unnerving sound against the steel floor. The other kids in the room were no less strange and frightening... those whose faces weren't covered had the same eerie canescent eyes. Some stood tall, towering over everyone... others remained close to the ground, like quick beasts ready to pounce. Many were armored to the teeth, many were simply adorned... all were quite threatening, filling nearly the entire room with their presence.

"What's a hundred minus three?" Beast Boy asked nervously, taking his hand away from his shoulder, attempting to stand strong.

"Huh...?" Raven questioned, feeling suffocated in the center of this populous.

"That's about how many of these guys we have to worry about." said Beast Boy. Gizmo, Jinx, and Mammoth each narrowed their eyes in response to this.

"Please, this isn't a time to be joking." Raven stated, an eyebrow twitching... however, the joke did manage to ease some of her tension at the thought of so many enemies. Reaching her arms out from beneath her cloak, Raven readied a fighting stance, "Should we call the others?" she asked, trying gauge a number as she scanned the crowd.

"No. They've got their jobs... and we've got ours." he answered seriously, knowing that Starfire still needed to be found. "Ours is just a little tougher than theirs right now..." he said, cracking a nervous chuckle. "Who are they...?" he asked, feeling anxious as he wondered when they would all stop standing there and just attack.

"My guess is... that army Slade spoke of." said Raven, feeling a strange connection with each and every opponent in the room... every opponent. Raven eyed the three former Hive members standing in front of her.

Beast Boy's eyes frantically panned over the army, "...Come on! Stop standing there and get it over with!" he shouted out of pure anxiety, immediately covering his mouth.

Gizmo smirked wickedly, "You heard him." he snickered. Immediately, like waves in a stormy ocean, every last _soldier _advanced, shouting and brandishing their individual mode of attack.

"No way!" shouted Beast Boy, unwilling to eat his own words. "Raven." he said, hoping she would get his meaning. Raven nodded, surrounded herself in dark energy, and sunk into the floor. As soon as Raven was out of the way, Beast Boy grinned and shifted his form; many of the children halted as they looked upon the towering mass of scaly green skin. With the swoop of an enormous tail through the air, Beast Boy reared his face and eyed the crowd. Opening his jaw, he bared his sharp teeth and let out a deafening roar which shook the room and shattered several lights on the ceiling. Taking full advantage of his tyrannosaurus form, Beast Boy shifted his weight and quickly whipped his tail through the air in a complete circle. With numerous thuds and grunts, half of the crowd--including Gizmo, Jinx, and Mammoth--were flung away to the walls, many seemingly knocked out on impact.

Beast Boy quickly morphed back into human form, "Alright." he started as Raven emerged from the ground, "That should even the odds a little." he said. Raven smirked at him slightly before turning to face the reorganized mass.

Stepping over their unconscious comrades without a second thought, the remainder of the crowd entered the fray once again. Three opponents made their way to Beast Boy; the first a tall young man who ran abnormally fast, his piercing white eyes looking strange in contrast to his dark skin; the second an extremely young girl who seemed to be holding fire in her hands, an almost innocent smile on her small face; and third... the creepy kid with swords for nails, looking no less psychotic.

As soon as the first enemy approached him, running like the wind, Beast Boy quickly morphed into a small bird, letting the kid run right by him. Missing his target, the swift boy attempted to stop, skidding his feet across the ground, but found himself heading straight for Raven. With her hands enveloped in black energy, Raven moved out of the way and struck the boy on the face with a punch, sending him flying across the room where he collided against the wall and fell to the ground with a grunt.

Sweeping a wave of energy across the area, Raven pushed a good amount of the advancing children away. Turning around, she saw Beast Boy looking down at a small girl, confused and hesitant to attack. The girl held a hand in front of her face, a tiny candle-like flame rising from her index finger; taking in a deep breath, she smiled at Beast Boy. "Sorry..." said Raven, aiming her hand at the child. As soon as the girl started to exhale, she was immediately caught in a black bubble; an explosion could be seen and heard through the containment. With a sigh, Raven released the girl to see her looking dazed. With a smoky cough, the child fell to the ground. Raven shook her head... something didn't seem right about all this.

"Thanks..." said Beast Boy, looking down at the little girl, not feeling particularly proud of it either. Quickly, Beast Boy looked up and frantically scanned around himself, though _blade-fingers _was nowhere to be seen. Slightly relieved, he turned his attention to the rest of the horde. All surrounded them once again, ready to strike. Quickly shifting himself into an elephant, Beast Boy pushed and knocked away many of the enemies with his tusks, sending a good number far to the edges of the room.

Reverting back into a human and breathing heavily from exhaustion, Beast Boy retreated to Raven's side as she knocked another group of attackers away. "This isn't getting us very far..." he said, watching as some of the fallen soldiers at the fringes of the battle simply stood up again. Still... blade-fingers was out of sight... seemingly the only one who hadn't made a move yet... something that was really starting to grate on Beast Boy's nerves.

"What choice do we have?" Raven asked, also breathing heavily. Noticing another group forming, Raven surrounded one of the heavily armored children in her energy and grudgingly used him to knock them all down. "That took a lot out of me..." Raven released her hold, realizing the amount of concentration it took to pick up someone that heavy. Feeling lightheaded, Raven began to lose her footing, accidentally moving away from Beast Boy.

"Raven, are you--" Beast Boy cut himself off as he saw a figure coming up behind Raven. "Raven look out!" acting quickly, he ran up and pushed her out of the way. Beast Boy let out a pained shout as the attack intended for Raven struck him.

Falling to the ground, Raven looked up in horror. As though in slow motion, she saw the look of anguish on Beast Boy's face and the events that caused it. A sickening shredding noise drowned out every other sound that came to her. Beast Boy stood with that look of pain and terror on his face, chest arched outward, streams of dark red blood flying in one direction from his side like a fountain. Blocked mostly by Beast Boy, the clawed boy smiled wickedly, one hand pulled upward toward the ceiling... the cause of Beast Boy's injury.

Raven felt her hands beginning to shake as the world came back into focus and Beast Boy fell flat on the ground, his eyes wide open. "NO!" Raven shouted, letting go of her normal restraint. Frantically searching the area, she saw the piece of metal that had fallen down with them; picking it up with her powers, Raven sent it through the air and slammed it into Beast Boy's assailant. Not giving up there, she used the piece of metal to send him flying across the room at break-neck speed. With a loud metal slam, the boy collided with the wall... however, the dent he made caused him to stay plastered to the metal.

Standing up, Raven looked all around to see sections of the army recovering. As soon as enough stood up, they all barreled toward her. With an angry glower, Raven's eyes erupted with black energy, "Stay back!" she shouted. Lifting her hands into the air, Raven slammed them to the ground. Immediately, the room became dark and quiet as Raven surrounded herself and Beast Boy in an immense black shield. Only muffled sounds passed through as the army attempted to break the shielding.

Breath echoing within the bubble, Raven looked to her fallen friend, almost afraid to go to his side. "...Beast Boy?" Raven called, standing up and taking several steps in his direction. Beast Boy remained on the ground, his eyes closed now, a small pool of blood forming beneath him. To Raven's surprise, Beast Boy groaned, pushing his hands against the ground to lift himself up. Groggily he brought himself to his feet, and held a hand over his wound. Without saying a word, Raven ran the rest of the distance, stopping just short of running in to him. Raven removed her hood, "Are you... what happened?" she asked shakily, wincing as she saw the three slash marks on his abdomen.

"It's not as bad as it looks..." said Beast Boy, one eye partly squinted.

"You didn't see it from my angle." unable to take her eyes from it, Raven watched as a drop of blood passed through Beast Boy's fingers, landing in the small pool on the floor. Quickly, Raven reached a shaky hand out toward his wound, "I can--"

"Don't." said Beast Boy, taking Raven's hand before she could do anything.

"Why?" Raven asked in response, staring Beast Boy in the eyes for an answer.

"You'll need all the energy you have to keep fighting... and I know how much healing takes out of you." Beast Boy looked to see the worry in Raven's eyes... something he didn't see often. "If I turn into something with thick skin, I should be fine." Beast Boy grinned, though unable to hide his wincing eye.

Raven sighed... Beast Boy was right; nearly the entire army had recovered already, and she would need everything to keep fighting them. Raven thought back to being pushed away from the attack, "Why did you push me out of the way?" she asked, looking at Beast Boy's hand which still held hers between the two of them.

Beast Boy gulped, "There's not an easy answer for that..." he grinned nervously. "I... just didn't want to see you get hurt." he said, seeing immense surprise in Raven's normally staid expression. "That's the last thing I'd want to--" eyes widening, Beast Boy cut himself off as he noticed there was no distance between his face and Raven's any longer. Her lips suddenly pressed against his, causing him to shut up as his heart leapt about in his chest. As a warm feeling began to spread across his face, Beast Boy felt his eyes rolling into the back of his head. Unfortunately, the feeling ended nearly as soon as it began.

Pulling away, shocked at her own actions, Raven saw the severely confused look on Beast Boy's face, "I-I'm sorry." she said, wanting to hide herself. "I'm so stupid!" she shouted, turning around to look away. The army continued to strike against the shield; Raven was surprised she had been able to keep it going this long... but that was the last thing on her mind.

Putting his free hand over his mouth, almost as though he was trying to make sure it actually happened, Beast Boy's eyes shifted around, "Raven, what just... I don't..." no understandable sentence managed to escape his mouth. "Why did you do that?" he managed to ask, feeling like slapping himself for it, _'What kind of question is that?'_

Raven sighed. Her sporadic emotions had just blown her cover... there was no point in hiding it any longer. "I don't know how long I've felt this way... but it feels like forever," she started in a slight whisper, wondering if he could even hear her, "...because it just won't go away, no matter how much I fight it." Raven squinted her eyes, finding something for them to focus on at the edge of the shield. "It's so strong... it almost hurts. Who I am... where I'm from... I'm not supposed to feel this way... but I do." she said, feeling her eyes beginning to sting; she had never spoken such words before... like opening a wound, it caused a strange sort of pain. "I love you." she spoke too soft to be heard, "I love you... and I'm sorry." she added, speaking up. Closing her eyes, Raven attempted to withhold whatever was trying to escape them. She dared not turn around.

"Raven, what are you thinking?" came Beast Boy's voice from behind her, his footsteps echoing within the bubble as he approached, "What in the world... would make you apologize for that?"

Opening her eyes, Raven looked up from the ground and felt a smile spreading across her face. Unable to hold it in, she let out a few restrained laughs. "Please..." Raven started, breathing heavily, "Tell me you love me too."

"No." Beast Boy answered, putting his hands on Raven's shoulders, "I'd rather show you." as Raven turned around to face Beast Boy, neither had time to think. Pulses quickened, Beast Boy and Raven met in a kiss once again. Closing her eyes, Raven gently wrapped her arms around him, an action which Beast Boy returned. _She_ had never felt so... happy. _He_ had finally come to understand his feelings. Cyborg would snicker, Robin would stand in disbelief, Starfire would probably squeal... but they didn't care what the others would think, they both were in heaven. Suddenly, a strong wind picked up... another thing which they paid no attention to.

Though to them it seemed like no time at all, Beast Boy and Raven finally broke apart, finding themselves almost gasping for air. "Well... I think it's safe to say we--Whoa!" Beast Boy looked down at Raven's cloak. Her entire costume had shifted from its normal dark colors to bright white. Aside from the color change, the most surprising thing to Beast Boy was the unhindered smile on Raven's face.

Raven looked down at her cloak and lifted the white fabric to examine it. She knew exactly what emotion brought about this change. "Thank you." she said. Suddenly, Raven's expression became more serious as she and Beast Boy turned to face their many opponents.

"I guess we'll have to pick this up later." said Beast Boy, looking at the shield which seemed to be shaking more now as the army continued to batter it relentlessly. "We have to keep fighting... for Starfire." he said, clenching his fists.

"Wait." Raven put a hand in front of Beast Boy to stop him, looking at his still bleeding wound. "I... I have an idea." she said, a little unsure of herself.

"What is it...?" Beast Boy queried, slightly worried as to what Raven had planned.

"Remember the girl we ran into that night?" Raven asked, Beast Boy's serious expression giving her an answer. Raven pointed to the children on the other side of the shield, "They're just like her, I can sense it, so..."

Beast Boy shook his head in disagreement, "Don't even think that." he said, "If jumping into _her_ mind hurt you that much... can you imagine what an entire army would do?"

"Don't worry." Raven turned to look into Beast Boy's eyes, placing a hand on his cheek, "I'm stronger now... because of you."

"You're sure about this?" Beast Boy asked, taking hold of Raven's hand. She nodded in response. "Alright..." Beast Boy replied reluctantly, "It's probably our only chance." he said, knowing it to be the truth.

"Okay." Raven stepped away and focused on the shield. Beast Boy followed suit, readying himself to change if needed. The entire army--including Gizmo, Jinx, and Mammoth--had recovered at this point, using their combined strength to pound against the dark energy. Suddenly, white cracks began to spread across the surface, and, like glass, the shield shattered. As the lights from the ceiling lit the room once again, the army began to advance inward like flood waters. Raven closed her eyes, "Azarath..." she started, hearing the approaching footsteps of the multitude, "Metrion..." she continued, Beast Boy attempting to guard her as the army drew closer, "Zinthos!" at that, a large dark force erupted from within Raven, forming the shape of a bird, spreading it's enormous wings. Seeing this, the entire army halted and looked in confusion. Taking control of her projection, Raven swept it across one section of the crowd, causing them to go limp and fall over like rag dolls. With no defense against it, the rest of the army soon shared the same fate.

When she sensed no more enemies awake, Raven recalled her projection, looking out across the sea of unconscious soldiers. Letting out a breath, she immediately felt a pair of arms encircle her, "You did it!" came Beast Boy's enthused voice. Quickly, he released Raven and chuckled nervously. Smirking, Raven threw her arms around Beast Boy and hugged him tight. "Um... are you okay?" he asked, wondering how she handled taking down an entire army.

"Yes... actually, I feel better now than before... like their voices have finally quieted." she explained, still locking their embrace, "So, can I heal you now?" she asked with a smirk.

Beast Boy chuckled fervently, "Sure--" he stopped as he heard his and Raven's communicators activating.

- - - - - -

A solemn look on his face, Robin continued walking through the hallway, led forward by Starfire. With his arms behind his back, he carefully shifted his wrists which were bound by strong ropes. Starfire kept a hand on his shoulder, nearly pushing him in the right direction.

The corridor appeared quite different from the others; several levels above, it was brightly lit and seemed much newer than everything else. Robin noticed the peculiar progression from old to new materials as Starfire led him further up through the facility. As they came upon a large pair of metal doors and halted, Robin stole a look back at Starfire over his shoulder. Starfire returned the glance for a moment; quickly turning her eyes away, she approached a panel by the door, tapping something into the keypad. Immediately, the doors slid open and Starfire returned to her position behind Robin. More forceful than before, she began to push him forward through the threshold.

The room beyond the doors was much like the corridor they had just left. Roughly textured steel floors and walls stretched onward down a cavernous room which seemed much like a hall built for a giant. Close to the opposite end of the room, several large metal pipes lined the walls vertically, reaching all the way up to the ceiling; extremely high above, it apparently housed no lights as the source of illumination was coming from somewhere else. Beyond these things was the most prominent image in the area, a large glass wall looking out upon the ocean. The tornado of water continued to swirl and a small amount of sunlight could be seen breaking over the top. Interrupting the scenery, a tall silhouette stood in front of the glass, staring out at the raging water... seeing him, Robin knew exactly who it was.

Starfire gripped Robin's shoulder and stopped him several feet from the man at the window. Shoved from behind, Robin fell to his knees and looked up at the man. "I have captured him for you." said Starfire in a strange monotone.

"Good work. I knew I could count on you." responded Grey in a calm and gruff voice. Hands behind his back, he turned around to reveal his masked face, two dark gray eyes staring out from the fabric. His sword could be seen, held securely in its scabbard by his side. "We meet again." said Grey, facing Robin entirely, sounding amused, "Surprised? No doubt you expected a different sequence of events." he stated. Robin swore he could see a grin beneath the mask's dark facade.

Robin simply glared, gritting his teeth, "Your fight was with me... Why did you take Starfire?" he demanded.

Grey let out several low chuckles, "My boy... you were never the real objective. Just a consolation prize." he lowered his eyes at Robin condescendingly, "I was in search of strong soldiers, and there was no child on this earth stronger than her. To that point, we could not recruit her by... standard means. I only needed time... time for _you _to help reveal her weaknesses to me. Yes, I did lose several operatives, but she is quite the replacement, wouldn't you say?"

"You..." Robin spoke angrily through his teeth. Grey had it planned this way from the start... and he had followed through like a puppet the entire time.

Laughing malevolently again, Grey reached into his pocket and removed something reflective, "...Such foolish sentiment." he said, bringing the silver and blue necklace up to his eyes. Robin's eyes narrowed at the sight of it, his arms beginning to quake with fury. Starfire squinted across the room, taking in a breath and letting it out slowly.

"Starfire, now!" Robin shouted, snapping the ropes which were loosely tied around his wrists. Taking out his staff, he began to charge toward Grey, weapon held at the ready.

"What!" Grey's eyes widened, reaching for his sword as Robin advanced quickly. Before he could draw his weapon, Grey saw Starfire's eyes light up; pulling a hand back, she hurled a single starbolt through the air in his direction. "Impossible!" hastily unsheathing his blade while keeping hold of the necklace, Grey slashed upward through the air, splitting the starbolt in two before it could hit him. The separations of energy crashed against the ground on Grey's sides, bringing clouds of smoke into the air which obstructed his vision. Looking into the black clouds, Grey kept his weapon ready, unsure of where his opponent would emerge. Giving Grey no time to react, Robin quickly burst from the smoke, slashing his staff downward. Robin's attack struck the masked man harshly on the shoulder, causing him to double back and drop his sword to the ground.

"Surprised?" mocked Robin, sweeping his staff diagonally. Lifting his hand, Grey caught the staff and glared, tightening his grip on it. Not letting that stop him, Robin brought his leg up and dealt a kick directly to Grey's face.

Rolling to the ground, Grey quickly recovered and rushed up to Robin, "Fool!" he barked, landing a punch which caught Robin off guard. Pushed back several feet, Robin tried to regain focus. Relentless, Grey moved inward again and kicked Robin harshly in the stomach, causing him to fly backward through the dissipating smoke, where he fell against the metal at Starfire's feet.

Kneeling down, Starfire immediately came to Robin's aid, "Robin, are you harmed?" she asked worriedly.

Robin looked up to Starfire and shook his head in response. As Robin lifted himself from the ground, Grey noticed something shimmering in his hand; shocked and infuriated, he looked to his own hand to find the necklace missing. "I think she'll be wanting this back..." Robin stood up fully, placing the necklace securely in a compartment on his belt, "...when we leave this place." he finished, a bit of a smile on his face. Readying stances, both Robin and Starfire prepared to enter into battle.

"NO!" Grey's eyes glared with anger, "How... How did you break the control!"

* * *

**Author's Note: **Okay, originally I had planned to finish all this up in one chapter, but I had this sneaking feeling that Day 10 would be a lot longer than the others... and well, here it is. So, in keeping with Day 9's preview, this will literally be the longest day of Robin's life... chapter-wise XD. Still, I managed to fit everything from the preview in there, so I'm not disappointed in the least bit that I had to extend Day 10.

Beast Boy and Raven admitted their feelings before Robin and Starfire; much irony :D. The thing Slade was searching for was indeed his son Jericho; that is one of the things I couldn't wait to reveal... but there's still more, such as what exactly they were using the poor kid for. And finally, Grey got his comeuppance... I swear, I had an adrenaline rush while writing that part. I just couldn't wait to give the jerk what he deserved. Phew. Expect to learn more about him--and his connection with Slade–next time. Oh, and I'll also explain exactly what happened during Robin and Starfire's fight... I think you'll like it :).

So anyway, sorry for the delay. And thank you all for the wonderful reviews last time :).

**Next Chapter Preview: **Though Starfire is unable to fight, Robin enters into a battle with Grey, one last surprise in store for him. Slade, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven discover their jobs aren't quite finished, but as The Tempest's threats become a reality, will there be time to stop it? "Day 10, Part Three: The Unyielding Heart"


	21. Day 10, Part 3: The Unyielding Heart

**10 Leisurely Days**

by Blue Ten

**Summary:**

Robin finds out that Starfire will be leaving for Tamaran in 10 days. Keeping his discovery a secret, he has a little over a week to give her a reason to stay. But when things keep getting in the way, will he even get the chance? RobxStar, BBxRae

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Teen Titans.

* * *

Day 10, Part Three: The Unyielding Heart

_"We... I care about you too much. If I ever hurt you, I would never forgive myself." looking directly into Starfire's eyes, which had now lost their glow, Robin retracted his staff and placed it back in his belt. "I promised myself... never again. And that's a promise I intend to keep."_

_Seeing him put away his weapon, Starfire's eyes struck aglow once more, "Then you are a fool!" she said, readying herself. Growling, Starfire rushed forward, feet tapping rapidly against the metal floor._

_"You know me better than anyone." keeping himself steady, Robin watched as Starfire advanced, eyes radiating with fury... seeming as though she had no intention of stopping, "And that means you know I won't do this." he shook his head, letting her continue. Unsure of what was going to happen, Robin shut his eyes and turned away, bracing himself for anything. Whatever happened, he knew it couldn't really be Starfire doing it... and he wouldn't blame her... no matter how badly she would hurt him. It was too much... the way he felt for her, memories of looking into her beautiful eyes and hearing her enchanting voice, the days he spent with her, watching the sun rise and set... these foolish things would not allow him to fight... Was this the weakness he had been warned about so long ago?_

_"Star... remember the things you wished for. I know it's selfish, but my wish can't come true if you're not here with me, so--"_

_"Ugh!" Robin groaned as something collided with him, pushing him backward several feet with its force. Suddenly he felt constricted, tightly grasped around his back and shoulders... no room for his arms to move. Confused, Robin opened his eyes and found Starfire holding on to him firmly, resting her head over his shoulder. As his thoughts faded away, the sound of Starfire's almost raspy sobs filled his ears. She trembled with heavy breaths, though her embrace remained strong--grasping as though she couldn't be close enough to convince herself of the moment._

_"I... I would never hurt you." Starfire cried in a hushed and labored voice, letting warm tears fall from her tired eyes; they tapped subsequently on Robin's shoulder. "Know..." Starfire gasped as her sobs distorted her speech, "Know that I would not do such a thing... please, believe me." she begged as though she had done something terribly wrong. "You are dear to me... like nothing I have ever known."_

_Pulling his arms out from under Starfire's, Robin reached around and held her securely in his arms, "I believe you Star... there's nothing to worry about now." he said, attempting to reassure her, "Please, don't cry." Without thought, he found his hand passing carelessly through her hair. He didn't know what he was doing, but Starfire was back, and in his arms no less... all rationality had left him._

_Starfire pulled away and looked Robin in the eyes. Her tear-stained cheeks were the first thing Robin noticed, though her bright smile and shimmering emerald eyes quickly captured his attention. "Robin!" Starfire cried, hugging him tighter and smiling ear to ear. Robin let out a groan, though he didn't protest in any other way. "I am sorry for letting go of your hand." she said, burying her head in his shoulder. Suddenly, Starfire felt her face heating up; blush was rushing over her expression... She welcomed it--let it overtake her--for it seemed like an eternity since the last time she felt this way._

_Robin chuckled happily at Starfire's words, "Don't worry... I still held on to you." he said, not meaning it literally of course. Starfire's closeness was causing his heart to leap about in his chest, his pulse to quicken, and his face to boil over with blush... Nostalgic; he wished it would never end._

_"If that is the case, then I kept you here with me as well." Starfire played along, smiling though hot tears still streamed from her eyes._

_For a moment, the world disappeared and Robin and Starfire merely held on to each other. They had only been apart for several hours, but it felt like forever. Now, they were basking in each other's presence, letting the knowledge envelope them like the warm embrace of the sun. The nearness of one another warmed them both to the core, subduing their heartache and rejuvenating their spirits. However, the sun quickly set on their little world... a realization of where they were and what needed to be done rising in its place. Reluctantly, Robin and Starfire separated, keeping their eyes locked... neither caring to turn away as they usually would._

_"We can't leave yet..." Robin sighed, finally looking to the ground._

_"I know this..." Starfire agreed, wiping the moisture from under her eyes, "This Grey wishes to purge the earth of life... and it cannot be allowed. It is our responsibility to stop him."_

_"Right." Robin looked up, regaining his determination, "But how do we stop him?" he asked himself. "We have to catch him off guard somehow..." Robin crossed his arms in thought. "Starfire... how much do you remember after they took you?"_

_"Everything." Starfire answered, closing her eyes to think back._

_"He didn't... hurt you did he?" Robin questioned, feeling a twinge of anger at the thought._

_"No." Starfire shook her head... aside from that frightening experience strapped to that cold metal table... there was no harm done to her. Reaching behind her back to her belt, Starfire felt the length of rope she had been given. "Robin, perhaps there **is** a way we may catch him without the guard." she said, removing the rope and holding it out for Robin to see._

- - - - - -

"NO!" Grey's eyes glared with anger, "How... How did you break the control!" he demanded, tightly clenching his fists.

"You did not have control." Starfire answered, imbuing her hands with energy, "Soon the others will realize this and break free as well."

"You're finished." Robin added, holding his staff out toward Grey.

Grey's eyes lost a bit of their intensity as he reached down to pick up his sword, "This must be quite amusing to you..." he said, his blade scraping against the floor as he reclaimed it. "It was entirely my intention that you find this place. And now that you are here, none of you will leave." he said, holding up his weapon and letting the dim sunlight from the window catch itself on the surface. "Restrain her."

Before Robin and Starfire had a chance to react, two metallic thumps shook the floor behind them. Without warning, the same glowing ropes that had taken hold of Starfire before, encircled and pulled her backward; consequently, her energy quickly disappeared, though she struggled as best she could, words of protest muffled by the bonds. Robin turned around to see two humanoid creatures--the same type of robot they had fought previously in the city--restraining Starfire with the ropes, pulling her away.

"No!" shouted Robin, beginning to chase after them. Quickly, one of the robots brought a single blade-like finger up to Starfire's throat--threateningly close. Immediately, Robin came to a stop, watching the white android carefully. "Don't--"

"I wouldn't. She's far too important to sacrifice so thoughtlessly." said Grey, walking away from the window, "But stay where you are. Strike those machines and there's no telling what could happen."

Robin looked at the blade as it hovered inches away from Starfire's neck... She had since stopped struggling, her eyes closed and her body limp. She had only just returned... and now she was being taken away again? He wouldn't allow it, "Let her go... or I'll--" Robin turned around to see Grey standing directly in front of him.

"What will you do?" Grey lowered his head, narrowing his eyes at Robin. As the boy in front of him remained still, Grey noticed the desperation in his eyes. "Would you put yourself at risk... die for her?" he asked, "Would you be willing to throw your own life away... for the sake of one."

"I would." Robin answered in a low voice, glaring up at the masked man.

"We shall see." Grey looked up and motioned a hand at the robots; thereafter, the one holding up its blade quickly relinquished its threat. Still keeping the ropes tight around Starfire, the two robots backed away and stood by the door. "I know what you feel for her. And truthfully there will be a place for such a thing in the new world... far be it from me to destroy something like that."

"What are you talking about...?" Robin clenched his staff, reluctantly turning away from the robots.

"A test." Grey answered, "Defeat me, show me your feelings are stronger than my ambition... and I will release her, you have my word." he said, his deep voice sounding calm and serious, "These machines respond to my commands. If I die, they will be mindless. So if you are truly determined, you will kill me... then there will be nothing I can do to stop you."

"Why would you do that?"

"Simple. I want you both to join The Tempest... but _you _are far too resistant. I see winning a fight against you as the only way to change that. And, though you will not defeat me, why shouldn't I give you some form of hope? It should prove interesting to see how far that takes you. That is the test; to see how long you last before you fall." Grey explained in a tone that infuriated Robin to no end, "And you will fall." he finished, quickly striking a fighting stance.

Robin looked over his shoulder at Starfire, his expression softening as he saw her bound and rendered helpless... her eyes twitched for a moment, seeming as though she was struggling to get free in the only way she could. She was still fighting... and he wouldn't let that be in vain. Robin clenched his staff tightly, his entire body quaking. He looked back toward Grey, fierce determination written across his face, "Fine, I'll fight you." he said, brandishing his weapon.

Starfire's limbs refused to move, though she tried with all her might. A cloudy fog resided over her consciousness, blurring her vision and deafening her ears. However, as though through some strange filter, she managed to catch Robin's acceptance of the fight. Forcing herself awake, Starfire opened her eyes and shouted as loud as her voice would allow... nothing came--merely a quiet breath, muffled by her bonds. Through blurred vision, she saw Robin standing across from Grey, ready to do battle. She wanted to help him... but as the ropes continued to drain energy from her, she could only watch.

"Begin!" shouted Grey. Stepping toward Robin, Grey slashed downward from his right. Robin simply took a step to his side, allowing his staff--which he held strongly in both hands--to take the force of Grey's attack, causing a loud scraping noise. Keeping a calm facial expression, Robin pulled his staff away and swung horizontally toward his enemy's face. Given hardly any time to think, Grey awkwardly shifted his stance, quickly bringing his blade up for a block. "What?" holding his sword over his shoulder, he narrowed his eyes at Robin, who didn't react. Grey let out a single low chuckle, "You've improved."

"Hmph." Robin shoved Grey's sword away as best he could... the man was still as strong as ever, only allowing Robin to push his weapon a minuscule distance away before recovering. Even after everything he'd learned, Robin was still at a disadvantage when it came to strength. He had to gain the upper hand somehow... and he knew of only one way. Robin backed away, setting a good distance between himself and Grey, "That shouldn't be a surprise to you. After all... you said so yourself..." he started, making sure to look Grey directly in the eyes, "I'm a fast learner."

Nearly dropping his sword, Grey took several steps backward, his mouth muttering indistinct grievances, "So... you knew..." he said, reaching up to his neck with a free hand, "I suppose then... this is of no use anymore." in one quick motion, he pulled the guise from his face, clenching the black fabric tightly in his hand thereafter. An aged face coldly stared at Robin through stony gray eyes; the face of Tyrus. "How did you figure it out?" he asked, once again readying himself for the fight.

"I always knew." replied Robin, jumping in with a swift downward slash.

The unmasked Grey held his sword horizontally, catching Robin's attack with ease, "And yet you returned... accepted training from me. What a fool you are." he said, attempting to keep hold of his sword as Robin continued to press against it, "But _I_ am no fool. Did you honestly think I would teach you enough to defeat me? I only taught you enough to make you believe so."

"You're wrong." in one motion, Robin flipped his staff around, placing it under Grey's blade; pulling it backward, Robin used his opponent's own strength against him. Grey attempted to stop himself as he was drawn forward several steps. Taking his opportunity, Robin dealt a strong kick to Grey's stomach, knocking him away. Feet scraping against the ground as he steadied himself, Grey looked up at Robin with anger and held an arm over his abdomen. "You taught me more than you realized." Robin held his staff in a defensive stance, "I wasn't there to learn about the sword. I needed to know your weak points. And you showed them to me... with every step, every stance."

"You..." Grey gritted his teeth. This entire time... he was the one being used. He looked on at the unshaken boy standing strong in front of him... this was no ordinary child. Running forward, Robin cut his staff through the air. Lifting his blade, Grey simply caught Robin's strike once again. In a test of strength, their weapons remained between them, sheering against one another.

"So... what... was it?" Robin asked, trying with all his might to resist Grey's strength, "With all the lives you destroyed... all the children placed under your control... none were strong enough to satisfy you. So you tried to craft one in your own image..." Robin's boots scraped against the floor as their struggle continued, "A psychopath like you is easy to understand. You want power, no matter what the cost, no matter how many lives you ruin. All for your sick--"

"NO!" Grey shouted. Pulling his sword back, he slashed it through the air, slamming it into Robin's staff with a nearly deafening metallic clash. Sent backward several feet, Robin tumbled to the floor; keeping hold of his staff, he stood up and attempted to regain his balance. "Ruined... lives?" Grey looked down at the ground, clenching the hilt of his sword, "Tell me... what kind of lives do you think they had?" he questioned, watching Robin's unchanging expression, "You don't know what these children faced every day. They were the forgotten; left alone to die simply because no one knew they existed... or refused to acknowledge their existence. Their _lives_, as you call them, were torn apart by war and tragedy long ago. I took them in, gave them strength. Take them from this place, and you will be condemning them to death."

Robin looked over his shoulder at Starfire... were her eyes open? "What about Starfire?" he questioned, "Why did you involve her in this?"

"They needed guiding hands... strong leaders." Grey looked away, "She was not the only one chosen for this... There were many others... including you. However, because of your friend--the thief--we ran into many obstacles attempting to recruit the final numbers." he explained grudgingly.

"X." Robin looked across the metal floor toward Grey, almost glad that Red X had interfered. _'Recruits...' _he thought. The man seemed to believe he was doing something... good.

"You couldn't possibly understand them... no one who has not lived like they have can. That is why I took it upon myself to save them." at that, Grey took several quick steps in Robin's direction, slashing upward from his side.

As Robin stepped away, he noticed Grey's blade shred a portion of his shirt's sleeve, _'Gotta be more careful...' _he thought, bringing his staff up to block another strike from Grey. "And what gave you the right to decide for them?" he demanded, backing away to avoid a recovery attack.

"I was once one of them!" Grey shouted in his deep and imposing voice, jumping in with a downward slash. Quickly, Robin grabbed both ends of his staff and caught the sword in the center. Not giving up, Grey continued to press against the staff, scraping the edge of his blade against it, "I understand them completely. My memories are plagued by the same haunting images... the evils of the world." he said, his eyes narrowing as he continued to push Robin backward. Unable to fully contend with the man's strength, one of Robin's legs gave way, causing him to drop to one knee as he attempted to keep his enemy at bay. "Imagine if you will... watching from the shadows as your entire family is slaughtered before your very eyes... murdered in cold blood because of mere suspicion..." Grey's eyes became alight with fury, "I grew up alone, despising the people behind those acts... I wanted revenge. I found the sword was the perfect weapon to return the cold pain they caused for so many others than myself. But it wasn't enough. I was doing no good; there were still many more evils in the world."

"And you became one of them." said Robin, pushing forward with all his might.

"I came to this country, forced from my war torn home. I wanted to put a stop to the killing... so I became a soldier, in the hopes that I could help to rid the world of that evil I knew all too well. It was then that I met _him_... Slade." for a moment, Grey looked calm, his facial features showing no distinguishable expression, "He was a strong man and he seemed to fight for the same convictions. I looked up to him... like a brother. Soon, war showed itself again, and I found myself fighting alongside this man... finally, I felt like I was helping the world. But soon I saw that I had become the people I detested... hunting down and ending innocent lives... out of suspicion. Women... children... all caught in the crossfire. The man I looked up to... the man I believed fought to end these crimes... committed them without question. _He _is truly evil."

"Slade...?" Robin winced as he felt his arms losing control. He wondered if it was a mistake to tell Grey what he knew all along. _'No...'_ thought Robin, looking past Grey's blade. The man's eyes were filled with fury... he was becoming irrational.

"We both became the subjects of a black project... one intended to create the perfect soldier. Of course, even the subjects weren't told about the experiment in its entirety... we believed they were testing us against truth serum. But soon the changes became too much to ignore. My eyes lost their color, I became stronger, more intelligent... and vengeful. With that final sickening act, the world showed itself to be a truly corrupt place. It is a place of death, boy... Those in power seek only to destroy others in power... to secure their place in war without sides, a war with no victor and no end. Well, if death is what they want... then death is what I will bring them." in one short movement, Grey poured all his strength into his arms, almost pressing Robin's staff against his neck.

_'Now!' _thought Robin. Nearly as quick as Grey had moved, Robin rotated his staff counterclockwise, striking his opponent's face with a painful sounding crack. As Robin's staff moved out of the way, the tip of Grey's sharp blade stabbed partway into the thick metal floor, narrowly missing Robin's shoulder by an inch. Rolling away, Robin stood up and watched carefully as Grey pulled his sword from the ground--which he had kept hold of the entire time. He removed it from thick steel like it was nothing... Robin realized it was going to take everything to beat him. Looking over his shoulder, taking one lasting glance at Starfire, Robin knew there were no options in this fight. He would give everything... and if that wasn't enough... he would give more.

"Am I supposed to feel sorry for you now?" asked Robin, standing up fully as he turned away from the door. "You saw the world as corrupt... and you let that change you... let it corrupt you. You think you're different? You're worse." Grey stood in place, visibly cursing himself, "Starfire grew up... enslaved. She was never shown a shred of kindness for all that she gave. But she didn't turn out like you... she didn't give up... she was strong."

Watching and listening as best she could, Starfire's eyes began to well up with tears as she heard Robin's words; streaming down her cheeks, they passed over the luminous ropes that held her in place. _'I will not stand by and watch as you sacrifice yourself for me...' _narrowing her eyes, Starfire attempted to move her fingers, grasping faintly at the air. She wouldn't let Robin to fight alone... she had to help somehow.

"Shut your mouth, brat!" Grey charged at Robin, weapon at his side, "You believe you know what she thinks of the world? Imagine the bitter hatred that must flow through her mind." as he passed by Robin, sweeping his blade through the air, expecting a cut, Grey nearly tripped as he felt his sword collide with metal.

Using only one hand to keep hold of his weapon, Robin quickly stepped out of the way, letting his staff take the hit, _'No more mistakes... use his weak points against him... wear him out.' _he thought seriously. "Starfire isn't like that." he answered Grey simply.

"How... how are you doing this?" Grey slashed his sword through the air at his side in frustration.

"You twist your elbow to absorb the impact of a strike... effective, but it leaves you vulnerable to a counterattack. Your left leg... you must have injured it during your time as a soldier. It never fully healed, and so your stance is always--"

"Observant..." Grey chuckled plainly under his breath, "But you don't have me figured out, not by a longshot." raising his hand to the air, Grey looked toward one of the robots by the door. Reaching behind its back with its free hand, the android on the right quickly hurled something reflective through the air. As Grey caught the object in his hand, it was revealed to be a second sword, nearly identical to the first. "The sword is said to have a soul of its own. These are twin souls." he explained, crossing both blades in front of himself threateningly. "Nittoryu." Grey cracked a sinister smile, "Two sword style. I don't believe we discussed this in your training." still quick to attack, Grey immediately rushed forward holding both swords at his sides. Watching, Robin carefully examined Grey's footing and held his staff ready. Coming to a critical distance with Robin, Grey slashed both his swords inward. With two loud clashes, Grey felt as though he was opening his eyes as he saw it... Robin, holding his staff diagonally, had pinned one sword to the ground and kept the other at bay in the air. "What--" given no time to finish speaking, Grey's face was met by the bottom of Robin's boot.

Having used his staff to propel himself at Grey, Robin successfully dealt a kick to his opponent's jaw. In the air, Robin held on to his staff, soaring over Grey's form as the man fell to the floor. Landing carefully on the ground, Robin turned around to watch Grey recovering; he wiped away a spot of blood from his bottom lip, breathing reasonably harder than before. _'It's working... but that was too close.' _thought Robin, looking at some shredded fabric on the side of his glove. "The style is different, but the flaws are the same." he said.

"You think you can make a fool of me...?" Grey looked to the ground, his entire body showing signs of his rage. "I'll cut you into submission." crossing his blades, he stood in wait for Robin to make a move. Without saying a word, Robin rushed in, staff held in the center by one hand. As soon as Robin came close enough, Grey slashed downward with both swords. Twirling his staff, Robin knocked away both attacks by sweeping his weapon through the air; taking a step forward, he forced Grey to back up in order to give himself better distance. The sound of clashing steel continued as Robin repeated the process, leading Grey toward a side wall, taking advantage of his exhaustion. Grey stopped as his back pressed against one of the large metal pipes which lined the walls, the cold metal sending a shock down his spine. Once again, Robin managed to parry both swords, infuriating the man. "This was a mistake..." Grey commented with a grin. Turning his sword to face the wall, Grey swiftly punctured one of the steel pipes, causing it to release a dense white fog into the air.

Caught in the path of cold air, Robin quickly covered his face and backed away, nearly unable to see Grey in the mist, "No." he spoke under his breath, realizing the dire error he had made. More fog erupted from the wall accompanied by the sound of quick slashes... Grey was cutting open more of the pipes. Standing outside the dense mist, Robin looked carefully to see any movement within. Suddenly, Robin heard several consecutive metal cuts behind him, turning around in time to see a wall of fog rushing toward him. Zero visibility... Robin stood in the center of the rolling mist, unable to see anything, afraid to move for fear of running into a trap.

"This battle has proven one thing to me..." came a deep voice from within cloudy obstruction. Robin turned around quickly only to see nothing but the white mist, illuminated by the dim sunlight passing through the glass wall. "You will make an excellent leader for them."

The terrifying sound of air being cut caused Robin to move. Suddenly, an electric pain rushed up his back and Robin fell to his knees; looking over his shoulder, he saw his shirt torn under his cape... he couldn't see it, but he knew the wound was there too. Grasping his staff tightly, Robin stood up and searched the fog again, listening carefully for footsteps.

"Your friends too... the empath, the changeling, and the cyborg. All will make splendid additions."

"Stay away from them--Ahh!" Robin shouted as another slash separated the mist, cutting into his shoulder. Tightly gripping his wound with a free hand, Robin stared at the slash mark. For a moment his vision blurred, making it harder to see the red liquid passing over his fingers... though he knew it was there. Hearing a quick tapping sound against the floor, Robin began to frantically search around himself for the source of the noise.

"However, let us not forget about _her_... the strongest. She will be like no other." Grey's ominous voice continued, giving no clue to his position.

"No!" clenching his teeth, Robin let go of his shoulder, running through the mist in the opposite direction of the light, hoping to get out of the trap without any more injuries. As he progressed, the fog became thinner and the walls in the distance slowly faded into view. Finally breaking out of the cloudy barrier, Robin quickly halted, his breath caught in his throat as he saw Grey standing directly in front of him, crossing his arms before himself, holding his swords over his shoulders. Before Robin could even ready his staff, he felt the cold steel of the blades.

"It's over!" Grey shouted, slashing both swords diagonally. Robin made no sound as the blades cut through his shirt, tearing at his skin; his eyes merely widened, focusing on Starfire by the door as he fell to his knees. Lifting up a leg, Grey kicked Robin directly in the chest, sending him flying back into the fog where he was heard colliding with the steel floor. It was at this point that the world went black for Robin.

Seeing everything, Starfire began to breathe heavily, her arms struggling against the ropes. _"No!" _she shouted in a hushed breath--all her body could manage. She wouldn't allow it... suddenly, her heart began to race and its frantic beating was the only sound she could hear... it called to her, begged her to break free and fight. Body quaking, Starfire tore one arm out from under the ropes as though waking from a dream. "Robin!" swinging her free arm, Starfire managed to knock one of the robots away with a swift elbow to its head, causing it to release its grasp on the ropes; the robot fell away to the door, sparks flying from its neck. Partly free from the ropes, Starfire's eyes glowed an intense green as she lifted an arm into the air, "Huuaaaah!" she yelled, hurling a starbolt across the room.

Only now reacting to the commotion behind him, Grey had no time to turn around before the starbolt struck him, causing him to drop both swords to the floor. His ears deafened for a moment, ringing as the explosion thrust him forward. Catching himself before he fell to the ground, Grey held himself up with shaky arms, breathing heavily as a sharp burning sensation spread across his back. Looking over his shoulder, he saw smoke rising from a place on his uniform where the black fabric was nearly incinerated. One eye wincing, Grey stood up and turned around to see Starfire struggling wildly against the remaining ropes, eyes glowing... Noticing something, Grey quickly ducked as the light from Starfire's eyes intensified into beams. "Restrain her!" he shouted, letting the bright green beams pass over him. Quickly, the robot reacted by tightening its hold. After struggling more, Starfire fell limp, held in place by the ropes. "That shouldn't be possible..." Grey said, grasping his shoulder which took a great deal of the attack, "Carry the boy... we're taking them both to be _influenced_." he said, looking at the other robot. Peering into the fog, the robot jumped away from the door and disappeared into the white.

Grey let out a groan through his teeth as he knelt down to pick up his swords. Standing up, he began walking to the door, nearly limping. Before going any further, he came to a halt, narrowed his eyes, and turned around, looking curiously into the fog. A strange scraping noise came from within the swirling mists.

- - - - - -

A seemingly thin veil separated Robin from consciousness as frigid swirls of air rushed over him like water in a cold and empty blackness. Pain--like electricity--surged across his chest and back, drowning out the sharp feeling on his shoulder. Suspended--paralyzed--within the shadows, he could hardly tell if he was awake or not, though his breaths echoed and a constant thumping sound filled his ears. _'What happened?' _he asked himself, his voice overpowered by that persistent pounding. The veil... it infuriated him. What was it keeping him from? What was this unfathomable sense of failure? Beyond that blackness... hidden in the void... a feeling too strong to ignore.

_'Get up.' _Robin heard a voice reverberate in the darkness; desperation. It echoed loudly, shaking his entire body. _'Get up. Fight. She's counting on you.'_

_"Starfire!" _Robin strained to open his eyes, though the darkness remained before him.Suddenly, it all came rushing back to him in one agonizing instant; Grey, the fight, and Starfire... Robin felt his eyes beginning to twitch wildly. The veil held him down, restraining him with its overwhelming weight.

All this time, he had been so selfish... trying to keep her on earth... Well, now she would be staying... whether she liked it or not, and that madman would use her for his purposes. _"NO!" _shouted Robin, moving his fingers in an attempt to grasp at awakening. He had to get up... had to keep fighting... so she could be safe... so she could return to her home. If he failed here, then he would be keeping her from that... he only wanted her to be happy. The day would end soon, and she would be held captive here... unable to keep whatever promise she made. _"GET UP!" _he shouted as loud as possible once again, sending tremors through his world. He promised to give everything... and as long as there was life in his body... there was still more to give. Robin felt movement returning to his arms and legs. He had to continue, so Starfire could wake up the next morning and make that decision for herself. Robin realized the pounding sound in the void resided in his chest; his heart, too, attempted to awaken him. Give it all... give everything... wake up and fight; these words flowed continuously through his mind. He knew he loved her, and that was why he couldn't keep her from that morning... when she would rise with the sun... and leave if she desired it. Was it possible to feel more than love?

Clenching his hand tightly, Robin forced himself upward and swung his staff through the air, striking something hard. Standing up and opening his eyes, he looked upon the dense clouds; there, at his feet was one of the robots that had held Starfire captive... its body twitched and several blue sparks identified its position in the white. Looking down at the android, heart beating with unmeasurable intensity, Robin lifted his staff high into the air.

- - - - - -

"What happened?" Grey questioned as he heard a metallic thud within the fog.

Suddenly, with a loud crash and an eruption of blue sparks, a large portion of the mist opened up. Holding on to his staff--one end of which had been thrust through the face of the fallen android--Robin breathed heavily, glaring at Grey through narrowed eyes. "We're... not finished yet." he spoke in an abnormally low voice, pulling his staff from the robot as the cloud moved in and disguised him once again.

Grey growled through his teeth, "Wait there." he ordered the robot which restrained the unconscious Starfire. Holding his swords up, he noticed the burning pain that radiated across his back, restricting his movement. _'No matter...' _he thought, walking toward the cloud of cold air, _'The boy is in far worse condition.' _Stopping at the edge of the cloud, Grey's eyes widened as he peered into the blinding white... he couldn't simply walk in, not in his condition. His own trap was now working in his opponent's favor.

"YAAH!" without warning, Robin suddenly erupted from the cloud, slamming his staff into Grey's stomach. Backing away, Grey slowly brought his swords up for defense as he regained his breath... the look on Robin's face tore through his eyes. Leaping forward, Robin assaulted Grey with a flurry of slashes and strikes.

Robin's wounds bled, leaving a small trail of blood behind him as he advanced, "Stop it, boy! You'll kill yourself!" shouted Grey, backing further away as he attempted to parry each of Robin's strikes.

Regaining some energy, Starfire opened her eyes, shocked and relieved to see Robin... immediately, her relief subsided as she witnessed his wounds. Using what little strength she had, Starfire began to move her shoulders under the ropes, hoping for another chance.

"I won't die!" relentless, Robin continued his onslaught, drawing energy from somewhere deep within. His body ached, his wounds stung, but there was no fraction of his being that would allow him to stop. Sweeping his staff upward as Grey continued to back away, Robin slammed it against his opponent's right hand. With a grunt, Grey released his grip on one sword, watching as Robin knocked it away; the surface of the blade reflected light as it spun violently and finally stuck itself into the opposing wall.

Unable to properly grasp the remaining sword, Grey simply held it up in front of himself, feeling the constant strikes shaking the blade and his entire arm. His abdomen carried a dull pain, keeping him from moving normally; his back burned too intensely for him to pay any attention to the battle... Grey realized, in one horrifying moment, he couldn't win this fight. As Robin's staff struck the edge of the blade, Grey noticed several tiny reflective objects fly away from the steel... a small crack had formed in the center. With one final clash, the blade shattered like glass, breaking into several pieces which flew away from the hilt. Grey watched in shock as the shards passed him by, spinning in the air, constantly catching the sun's light. No sooner did he see his weapon break than his vision turned white. Struck painfully across the face, Grey was sent backward a good distance until his back collided with one of the untouched pipes, denting the metal.

"Unh..." Grey groaned at the base of the wall, bringing a hand up to his face. Immediately, he felt himself pinned against the pipe, the scorched portion of his back making contact with the freezing metal. Grey let out a pained groan as he opened his eyes to see Robin glaring at him. Grey's arms were being pressed against the pipe as well, though he couldn't manage to move them out of sheer exhaustion.

"Let... her... go..." demanded Robin, his breathing labored as he clenched the ends of the staff and pressed harder. His wounds continued to bleed... he paid no attention to them.

One of Grey's eyes shut tightly as his injured back continued to be pressed against the frigid pipe. Turning to face the robot, Grey tried to speak, but coughed for a moment, _"Re..." _he started in an unwieldy voice, "Release her..." he finally spoke up. At that, Robin stood up, taking his staff away from Grey's shoulders; the man fell to the ground thereafter, letting out a breath as his back finally separated from the icy metal.

As soon as the robot loosened its hold on the ropes, Starfire's eyes lit up. Before she was fully released, she imbued her hands with energy and slammed them into the machine. With a luminous explosion, the robot was broken into pieces, its remains propelled away toward the ground where they noisily skidded across the metal floor. Tearing the ropes from herself and tossing them aside, Starfire could only think of flying to Robin's side. Attempting to take to the air, she found that her energy had not fully returned yet as her feet merely left the ground for a moment before falling right back. Running as fast as her legs would allow, Starfire rushed toward Robin as he turned around... the depleted look on his face sending a shiver to her core.

"Robin!" Starfire shouted, unable to keep her eyes from stinging as she closed the distance between them. Worry overcame her as Robin began to tilt, his eyes closing behind his mask. Before Robin could collapse, Starfire quickly wrapped her arms around him, holding him up. Turning Robin to face her, she was frightened by the pale look of his skin, "Robin, please... speak to--"

"...Star?" Robin looked up at Starfire; her beautiful green eyes stared down into his, glistening with repressed sadness, "Are you... okay?"

Hearing this, Starfire's face contorted, her eyes squinting as she became unable to hold back her tears any longer. Kneeling down with Robin, she pulled him close, holding him gently in an embrace, "Do not ask such foolish things... you are injured and..." speaking in a whisper, Starfire's bottom lip trembled. He did all this... with her safety in mind as his words had suggested. Starfire looked over Robin's shoulder, noticing the wound on his back. Letting go of her emotions for a moment, Starfire stood up, pulling Robin's arm over her shoulder, "We must locate Raven..." she said seriously, looking worriedly at Robin's pale face. He looked back, reassuring her with a small smile; though he couldn't fully hide the pain his wounds caused, seeing Starfire safe was more than enough to keep his mind off of it. Paying no attention to the man behind them, Starfire began helping Robin to the door.

"You're too late..." Grey looked up at them as he pulled himself along the ground toward the center of the room, "I told you I had a dream, boy. That was no lie. And soon that dream will come to fruition." Robin and Starfire turned around... almost pitying the man in his condition... though his words certainly changed that feeling. "This facility--" Grey coughed, interrupting himself, "Is more than it seems... It was designed to generate a storm the likes of which the world has never seen; a true _tempest_. Perhaps you remember the storm that struck the coast not too long ago... a mere sample of this facility's capabilities... a test. It was a success." he said, raspy chuckles escaping his mouth as he halted his movement. "My children are not the soldiers who will rid the world of evil, but the seeds who will replant the land after the purifying storm. Yes... it will purge the world of all evil... Those who survive will have proven themselves worthy of our influence... the boy will see to that. He will open the door to their minds and show them our way... just as he did for all of the children." Grey opened one eye, staring at Robin and Starfire, "There are many smaller facilities connected to this one, scattered across the oceans, all with the same purpose. We are safe here... in the eye of a thousand storms." he laughed, causing himself to cough more, "The sequence has already begun... there is no stopping it now."

An unaffected expression on his face, Robin reached behind his back to his belt. Bringing his communicator into view, he spoke into it, "You guys get all that?" he asked. With a slight smirk, Robin turned the communicator to face Grey.

"Got it." came Beast Boy and Raven's voices over the communication link.

"Every word." added Cyborg. "You okay, man? That sounded pretty bad."

Grey's eyes could be seen narrowing as Robin and Starfire turned around, the doors sliding open for them. "I know you came too... my old friend." as the doors shut, Grey tiredly brought his arm into his view. Pulling down the cuff of his black uniform, he revealed a small device strapped to his wrist, a single black button on its surface. Straining to move his other arm, Grey pushed the button, "You won't be taking the boy anywhere." at that, he let out a final tense breath and fell into unconsciousness.

- - - - - -

"Yeah... I'm alright." Robin spoke over the communicator, his voice sounding tired. Oddly enough, Robin had disabled the imaging feature on his end, so Cyborg had no idea of his leader's true condition as he looked at the blank screen on his arm.

"You don't sound alright." Cyborg commented, raising an eyebrow.

"He is injured and in need of healing... We are attempting to locate Raven." Starfire cut in. With the way her voice sounded, Cyborg realized she must have been holding Robin up... thinking about that, he was almost afraid to know how bad Robin was hurt.

"Cyborg, Grey said this place is somehow linked to all the others. Can you find a way to shut down the other facilities from here?"

Cyborg chuckled, "If I can't, then I've wasted the last couple years of my life." he said with a smile. "This place looks like the control room. I'll get right on it." he added seriously, shutting off the communication. Cyborg looked up to the ceiling as he turned to face the computer consoles; the red lights continued to slowly fade on and off, but the screens and lights on the computers remained normal.

The row of computers, in the form of an arc, stretched around the walls of the tall circular room. Walking alongside the consoles, Cyborg stopped to examine the first one to the left of the entrance. Though he was sure Slade posed no threat, Cyborg looked over his shoulder at the man. Keeping hold of the unconscious Jericho, Slade looked over one of the consoles--which appeared to be a communication system of some sort... Cyborg paid it no mind, turning around to check the computers.

"So... the military really did that to you?" Cyborg asked without turning around as he dismissed the console as unimportant and moved on.

"Yes... No doubt that chemical running through the walls is based on the serum they gave us." Slade answered... surprisingly. Through the subtle whir of electric devices, Cyborg could hear him tapping something into a keyboard... again, he paid no attention to it.

"Your son..." Cyborg started, finding it odd that he was in a conversation with _Slade_, of all people... and asking questions about the man's _son_ no less, "What do you think they were using him for...?" he asked, studying the buttons and controls on the computer in front of him. "It doesn't seem like he's one of the soldiers." he added.

"My son was born with unique abilities... an affect of the changes in my genetic structure..." Slade looked to Jericho, his expression softening, "As I'm sure you know, he can enter a person's mind, effectively taking control of their speech and movements." he said, looking away from the computers to the empty containment area where Jericho had been held... the strange metal mask remained suspended above the ground by wires. The slanted restraining table in the center of the room rose to the same height as the mask... facing it perfectly. "Grey must have been using him to... force a message into his captive's minds..."

"Brainwashing..." said Cyborg, moving along the consoles, bitterly remembering his experience with Brother Blood. Looking over the displays, he attempted to find some form of networking system. Coming to a stop at the opened containment room, Cyborg sighed; nothing on the left side of the room was of any consequence. Passing by the metal slab, Cyborg looked at the first console... sparks flew from its broken surface, illuminating the occasional darkness. Cyborg's eyebrow twitched as he stared at it, "Y'know... if this is the console I need, we'll all know who to blame when the storm of the century hits." he commented, turning to find a stern look shot his way, "Uh... forget I said anything." he quickly added, holding his hands up defensively. Before anything more could be said, Cyborg's human eye widened as he saw peculiar images on the very next console's display. "This is it!" he exclaimed, stepping up to the keyboard and examining the screen. The display showed a map of the world... he only wished he had seen it earlier. Several locations in the oceans were marked by blinking red dots... he recognized one in the Pacific Ocean--their exact location. "It's got our position marked... and--wow..." he looked shocked as he saw just how many other locations there were, scattered everywhere. A readout on the right side of the screen revealed a list of numbers, many followed by the word 'Active' in red letters... very few marked 'Inactive.' As soon as Cyborg noticed this, he saw one switch to active. "They're being activated... in a sequence, just like he said. How do I stop it?" he asked himself examining the keyboard.

"How long will this take?" Slade asked as he looked to the door, sounding hurried.

"As long as it does... Why?" Cyborg questioned, carefully studying the information on the screen. Slade remained silent. Getting an idea, Cyborg began to type something into the keyboard. In response, the screen lit up with the words 'Action Canceled.' "No." he said, nearly slamming his hands against the keyboard as the map returned, "The system's locked... it's activating those other facilities by signal, and it's already gotten to most of them. I can't stop it..."

"You need to find a way." Slade spoke in a low voice.

"I told you... I can't. Even if we destroyed this facility, the other facilities would stay active. This place just keeps sending out that signal to all those little guys and--" as something dawned on him, Cyborg stopped himself mid-sentence. Kneeling down, he began to examine the underside of the console, "Come on, come on--Yes!" he exclaimed, seeing a port at the base of the machine. Extending a thin black cord from his arm, Cyborg hastily connected it to the port, beginning to tap something into the panel thereafter. The display on his arm soon read, 'Uploading' in blinking green letters.

With a grin, Cyborg retracted the cord and stood up, looking intently at the next inactive facility on the list. His face moved closer to the screen; swallowing hard, he kept his eyes locked on the number. Suddenly, it switched to active. "No!" Cyborg shut his eyes and looked away, hanging his head in defeat, "The whole world's in trouble because of one stupid little computer, and I can't even hack it!" he slammed his hands against the edges of the keyboard in frustration, "I really messed up... DA--" he stopped as he heard a shrill beeping noise... followed by another, and another. Opening his eyes, Cyborg turned back to the screen, a smile beginning to spread across his face as he saw it. The first numbers on the list had been replaced with error messages. Preceded by the same beeping noise, each consecutive number on the list shared the same fate. "Boo-yah." he said with a triumphant smile.

"What did you do?" asked Slade, watching with a narrowed eye as the red error messages filled the screen.

"Heh, I infected it with the worst computer virus I've ever known... and a couple extra ones for good measure. Since this place continuously sends that signal to every active facility, it just infected them all." explained Cyborg, sounding proud of himself.

"You fool--" Slade was interrupted as the entire room shook, the facility itself seeming to tilt in one direction. Quickly, the computer screens began to flicker. "It was not supposed to sink yet." Slade's face suddenly developed a frustrated expression.

Cyborg narrowed his eyes at Slade, "Yet?" his attention quickly shifted as a thunderous pounding sound erupted from the other side of the closed doors. "What now?" he asked in exasperation, aiming his cannon forward as the metal began to bend inward with another thump.

- - - - - -

Lying face down on the floor, Gizmo opened his eyes to a relatively dark room. Shifting his focus upward, he saw rows of bright lights stretching across a large and lofty ceiling... many broken. He found himself pinned to the floor by an immense weight as he attempted to move. Looking over his shoulder, he realized what the problem was, seeing the behemoth that had fallen on him.

"Hey..." Gizmo struggled to move, managing to pull one of his arms out from under Mammoth's back, "Get off me ya big lummox!" he shouted, though his constrained abdomen only allowed a certain amount of volume to escape.

Groggily, Mammoth opened his eyes and sat up, resting a hand on his forehead. Turning his head, he looked down at Gizmo who gasped for breath, "Oh... sorry." he apologized in a gruff monotone.

"Next time watch who you fall on!" Gizmo pointed up at Mammoth with an accusing finger... suddenly his vexed expression went limp as he realized he was standing in a field of unconscious people. "Jeez, what the--" seeing two figures in the center of the cavernous room, Gizmo quickly grabbed Mammoth's arm and pulled him to the ground, "It's two of the Titans... Think _they_ did this?" Gizmo examined the countless unconscious children with curiosity.

"If they did, don't you think it would be better _not _to draw their attention?" came the voice of a girl just to the side of them.

Gizmo and Mammoth did a double-take as they saw Jinx huddling close to the ground as well. "What're _you _doing here?" Gizmo asked in a skeptical tone, squinting his beady eyes at her.

"The same thing as you... I have no idea." she answered, eyeing both former teammates, "Just... shut up and play dead." reaching a hand out, she pushed Gizmo and Mammoth closer to the ground.

- - - - - -

"Did you hear something?" asked Beast Boy, standing on his tiptoes to examine the fallen crowd. Looking around at all the bodies, Raven heard nothing more and simply shrugged her shoulders. Giving up on his search, Beast Boy looked back to Raven, suddenly gaining a blushful expression, "Well... now that this is all out in the open and stuff... I was wondering..." he turned his eyes to the ceiling, swallowing a painful lump in his throat, "When we get back, do you wanna... um, go on a..." he began to scratch the back of his head nervously.

"You mean... a date? I... don't know..." Raven searched her feelings; she knew she wanted to be with him, but she was... _new_ to the whole thing, to put it lightly. She didn't want to ruin things by messing up a date. Plus, it was _Beast Boy_... how would he act?

"Come on." Beast Boy stepped in front of Raven, hands clasped together, almost looking like he was about to beg, "I promise, I'll be a perfect gentleman. And--And I'll only joke if I get _really_ nervous!" he said quickly, his expression faltering as he realized that meant he would be joking the entire time.

Raven covered her mouth as an uncontrollable smile grew, "Okay." she nodded her head, taking Beast Boy's hand in hers, "So... what did you have in mind?" she asked, finally meeting his gaze.

Beast Boy simply looked back into Raven's amethyst eyes, at a loss for words, having never seen that kind of smile on her face, "Um, I wanna say something first..." he gulped, grinning sheepishly, "And I probably should have said it before I... well, y'know..." he trailed off as Raven placed a finger over his lips.

"You don't need to... I can sense it well enough from here. Why don't you just... _show _me again."

Floating down through the pitfall in the ceiling, Starfire held Robin carefully in her arms. Robin's increasingly pale skin had been the subject of Starfire's attention the entire way to Beast Boy and Raven's communication signal. His wounds had nearly stopped bleeding... but she didn't know if that was good or bad. She was simply thankful he was still awake, though he looked like he would pass out at any moment if they didn't find Raven soon.

The first thing Robin and Starfire noticed as they descended was the sea of seemingly dead bodies surrounding the center of the enormous room. However, something much more... _interesting_ caught their attention as they turned their eyes to the only two people left standing. Trying to keep hold of Robin, Starfire's mouth went agape as she saw Beast Boy and Raven--who wore all white--apparently in the midst of a romantic moment, standing too close to each other for it to be anything else. Though only half awake, Robin shared Starfire's shocked reaction, his eyes widening as he looked upon the scene.

Suddenly feeling their necks stiffen up, both Beast Boy and Raven slowly turned their heads to see Robin and Starfire staring at them. Hearts jumping into their throats, they leapt away from each other, faces red as beets, "We were just... uh..." they spoke in unison, searching for an excuse. Suddenly, they lost their embarrassment as they saw him, "Robin!" both shouted in worry. Rushing up to their friends, Beast Boy and Raven noticed Robin seemed near to passing out.

Starfire knelt down, now cradling Robin in her arms. Robin's mask showed his eyes were partly closed as he stared vacantly at the ceiling. "He is badly wounded. Please, Raven... you must..." with no need to be strong anymore, Starfire felt herself falling apart, her voice cracking.

Getting over her reaction to the wounds, Raven quickly knelt down beside Starfire, "Of course." she said, hovering her hands over Robin's chest. Wanting to heal everything at once, Raven closed her eyes and concentrated, "Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos." she chanted, enveloping Robin in a bright white light. Opening her eyes as she finished, Raven looked down at Robin. His wounds were gone, the only evidence that they ever existed being the tattered portions of his uniform. Even so... there was something strange; his eyes had closed completely, his head turned away from the ceiling. "Robin." Raven called, shaking him slightly. No answer. Suddenly, she looked up to Starfire with worry, "...How much blood did he lose?"

"I did not see..." Starfire stared down at Robin, "But I do not understand... will he not be okay?"

Raven's eyebrows lowered in remorse, "That depends on how fast we get him back to the tower." she said, feeling Starfire's heartache emanating. The poor girl had only just gotten him back... and now it seemed as though something bad was going to happen. Raven didn't know what to do... she completely healed his wounds, but his face remained pale, his skin cold and lifeless. Starfire could only sit there holding him, unsure, afraid, like she was lost in the dark. The feeling Raven received from her was overwhelming, almost causing her to lose control of her own emotions.

"Don't worry Star." Beast Boy joined the two, "He'll be alright. I mean, this is _Robin_ we're talking about... I'm sure he's been through a lot worse." he looked at the 'x' shaped tears on Robin's shirt from the corner of his eye, not entirely certain of his own words... even so, he simply wanted to keep everyone's spirits up.

Taking in a deep breath and standing up with Robin in her arms, Starfire put on a strong expression, "You are right." she agreed, nodding her head. Suddenly, the lights began to flicker, followed by a massive tremor which shook the entire room and seemed to tilt it as well. "What is happening?" Starfire queried, looking up to the flickering lights with concern.

"Pick up!" came Cyborg's distressed voice over Beast Boy's communicator, a metallic pounding sound heard clearly in the background.

"Yeah?" Beast Boy quickly stood up, taking out his communicator.

"I managed to shut down all the other facilities, but... I messed up... the whole place is sinking into the ocean because of it. You guys get out of there now! I'll catch up to you later--" the communication quickly shut off at the sound of another loud thump.

"Cyborg, wait!" Beast Boy called, though no response came. Putting his communicator away, he looked to the others with a flustered expression, "Well... I guess we should listen to him. Somehow, I don't think he was kidding..." he said, steadying himself as the ground shook once again.

"Then let's hurry." Raven turned around, facing the door.

"Wait," Beast Boy reached a hand out to Raven's shoulder, "What about them...?" he asked, looking at all the knocked out children, "They're all innocent. We can't just leave 'em here."

Raven examined the fallen crowd with regret. He was right, they couldn't simply leave them, but would it be possible to evacuate them all before the facility sinks...? Not only that, but they were in the middle of the ocean, and the T-Sub could only carry five people. "I... could try to ghost everyone through to the roof. There's a large platform up there... and at that height, we should have enough time to wait for Cyborg."

"Can you... do that?" Beast Boy asked, raising an eyebrow. Starfire shared the same concern, having never seen Raven help more than one or two people in that way.

"I suppose we'll know soon enough... Stand close to me." said Raven, motioning her hands at Beast Boy and Starfire; moving behind Raven, they watched as she closed her eyes and began to slowly recite her mantra. As though bombarded with a powerful wind, the entire room was swiftly flooded with black energy, all sound from the outside cutting off at that point. Tightly keeping her eyes shut, Raven concentrated on each and every presence in the room, slowly lifting them all into the air. Starfire looked down, watching the ground fall away beneath them; for fear of accidentally letting go, she held Robin securely as they passed through the ceiling. Soon, their speed increased and several floors were seen passing by through the cloak of dark energy. Finally, the metal workings of the interior gave way to a large open platform. As soon as they reached the roof, Raven let go of her energy and felt herself becoming light headed from the sheer amount of concentration it took. Swaying as the cool sea air suddenly burst over them, she accidentally stepped backward.

"Hey." Beast Boy moved in, grabbing on to Raven's shoulders to halt her, "You alright?" he asked.

"...You're always catching me..."

"Just returning the favor." Beast Boy smiled fervently. Looking to the side, Raven felt her face beginning to blush... such an unfamiliar thing. Finally realizing where they were, Beast Boy and Raven looked straight ahead to see Starfire with an immense and knowing grin spreading across her face. They didn't know whether to simply be glad she was happy, or quickly split apart before anything could be said. Suddenly, another tremor from within the facility drew everyone's attention away.

Slowly tilting from one side to another, the enormous circular platform stretched on quite a way from its center, keeping a portion of the ocean from being seen, though it was clearly visible on the horizon... as was the curvature of the earth... quite a disorienting sight. It was this that made everyone realize something; the massive tornado of water was absent, allowing the midday sun to shine through a lightly clouded sky. A constant cool wind whistled across the platform, breaking itself over every obstacle on the flat surface, which included the three Titans, the fallen army of children, and a fairly large box-like enclosure with a door on one end of the plate--presumably a way back into the facility.

"Come on, Cyborg."

- - - - - -

Carefully aiming his cannon forward, Cyborg watched as the large dents in the doors continued to grow with every ground shaking slam against it. Whatever was trying to get in... was huge. Shaking his head, Cyborg imagined the facility inching its way to the sea floor... there was no time to fight anything... they had to leave and soon. Readying himself for anything, Cyborg locked his eyes on the doors; they were beginning to split in the middle, revealing movement in the pitch darkness on the other side. Suddenly, Cyborg saw Slade walk directly in front of him, a serious expression on his face.

"Take him." said Slade, handing Jericho over.

Given no time to protest, Cyborg caught the unconscious Titan, "Hey, what the--" he started, face struck with sudden confusion.

"I'm going to fight it." Slade turned around, facing the door with a fighting stance, "I know what this is... and it is my fault it's here... it was my technology he stole to create it." he said, looking over his shoulder for a moment, "Stand behind that table... and keep him safe." he finished. As soon as Slade turned to face the source of the noise once again, the doors seemed to explode inward, crashing against the computer consoles, causing an eruption of sparks and electric crackling.

Standing under the violently flickering lights, a large humanoid creature swayed eerily. Ducking down behind the slanted metal table with Jericho, Cyborg looked around the corner, seeing the creature as reminiscent of the robots they had fought in the city... only hulking, nearly twice the size of Slade. Its body was composed of reflective white armor; a small robotic face with two tiny slits for eyes, a barrel chest supported by a relatively thin abdomen and legs, and long arms with three threatening blades attached above the fingers. A red insignia depicting three lines curving inward to a point was seen clearly on both its bulbous shoulders.

As the gargantuan robot took one step forward, the ground shook, causing one of the broken doors to fall noisily to the ground from its position atop the computer consoles. Growling, Slade clenched his fists and advanced on the robot without fear or hesitation. Slowly rearing itself to face Slade, the machine raised an arm and slashed horizontally through the air. Continuing on his path, Slade simply ducked under the strike, running quickly toward the creature's legs; reaching a good distance, he leapt forward, arms outstretched.

Cyborg watched from afar as Slade brought the giant to the ground by simply tackling its foundation. The entire room shook as the creature collied with the floor. To Cyborg's surprise, Slade didn't stop there; standing up, he took hold of the machine's leg once again, beginning to pull backward, _'No way...' _he thought in astonishment, seeing the body begin to shift position. With a strained expression, Slade swung the entire metallic creature around, on release letting it fly and crash into the computers on the opposing side of the room. _'Jeez...'_ he knew Slade was strong, but...

Recovering, the enormous machine stood up; without waiting, it began to charge toward Slade, its tremendous weight shaking the ground with each step. Merely narrowing his eyes, Slade took the challenge and ran forward as well, holding one arm back to deal a powerful strike. The ground-shaking advancement continued until the two combatants met at a critical distance, replaced then by the sound of shattering metal and mechanical parts.

From his position, Cyborg couldn't see what had happened. Getting a better look around the corner, he saw that Slade's fist had passed completely through the robots abdomen; sparks flew from its back, and shattered pieces of its armor lay strewn across the floor. Letting out a breath, Cyborg realized Slade had done it... and somehow, he had no doubt. Peering further around the corner, Cyborg's eye widened, "No." he spoke out loud with widened eyes. The automaton's left arm had been thrust forward, its blades passing directly through... Slade. Cyborg could hardly look, seeing the three sharp weapons sticking out through the man's lower back... dripping with a dark liquid he dared not identify... He knew for a fact, it was something he wouldn't wish on his worst enemy. Hearing Cyborg's voice, the robot--still functioning--quickly turned its head to face him. Gritting his teeth, Cyborg quickly hid himself behind the table once again. He couldn't fight... that would put Jericho at risk... and Slade was...

Eye wincing, Slade looked up at the machine, its attention turned toward the table. "You won't make it that far..." he said, pulling his fist from the robot's abdomen and tightly grabbing hold of its forearm, causing it to shift its attention back. Strengthening his grip, Slade crushed the thin arm with his hands; lifting his left hand up, he punched downward at its elbow, separating the arm from its owner. Both Slade and the machine took several steps backward as a result of this change. Clenching the arm once again as the robot recovered, Slade coughed violently, pulling the blades from himself. Vision blurring as he finally removed them, Slade turned them to face the robot, immediately running forward. Quickly, giving the creature no time to move, Slade thrust the blades upward, directly through the machine's chest. Keeping hold of one end of the arm, Slade proceeded to slash it across, nearly cutting the giant robot in two, sending its inner working's across the room. Eyes losing their slight red glow, the machine halted entirely, falling to the ground with a loud crash. Letting out a labored chuckle, Slade dropped the arm to the ground, allowing himself to collapse.

"Hey!" called Cyborg, hearing the battle come to an end. When no answer came, Cyborg stood up, running around the table with the unconscious Jericho in his arms. Walking up to Slade, who lay face down on the ground in front of the defeated robot, Cyborg knelt down carefully, "Can you walk? We gotta get out of here." he said, trying not to pay attention to the man's wounds. The ground tilted, causing Cyborg to nearly lose his balance.

Slade looked up, his good eye partly closed, "Go." he said, pointing to the doorway, "Go now!" he shouted, coughing as a result.

"I can't just leave you here. Come on, I'll carry you both--" Cyborg held out a hand.

"Charges..." Slade pointed to the glass tubes on the wall with a shaky hand, "I placed timed explosives on those tubes... When they detonate, they will take this entire facility and that volatile chemical with them. I wanted to make sure it didn't spread elsewhere." he said, turning back to face Cyborg with a deadly serious look, "Find a way to the roof. It won't be long, so you need to leave _quickly_... and _I_ will slow you down, do you understand?"

"But--"

"My son's life rests in your hands now. If you don't leave... he will die." he explained, "I've been too long in this world. My time came long ago."

"Shut up!" shouted Cyborg, standing up, "I'll get your son outta here, but when he's safe, I'm comin' back for you. You've still got a lot of crimes to answer for." he said, glaring down at Slade. Facing the door, Cyborg began running toward the hallway, stopping as Slade spoke up.

"I know what awaits me... I've been there before; the fire. I did not do this to change... that is impossible. I thought I could prove something to myself... that I still had some shred of humanity left. I did it for my son... and the family I destroyed..." he said, sounding delirious, seemingly staring off toward nothing, "It means nothing from a man like me, but tell him... tell him I'm sorry. For everything." with that, Slade collapsed on the ground, his one eye shutting as he let out a breath.

"You can tell him yourself... when I get you outta here." said Cyborg, running into the dark hallway.

- - - - - -

The crushing waves of the ocean could be heard moving progressively closer as the facility continued to sink, swaying as it did. Beast Boy, Raven, and Starfire looked over the edge of the plate, watching as they approached the ocean. Now visible over the edge, the T-Sub had floated away from the base of the facility as a result of the massive waves the place was causing.

"Where are you?" Beast Boy asked, feeling like running back into the building. Before he got the chance, a loud bang came from behind them. Everyone turned around to see Cyborg running out from the door to the facility, having broken it open with his shoulder. He carried someone his arms... "Cyborg!" Beast Boy shouted, waving his friend over. Raven and Starfire let out sighs of relief as Cyborg continued toward them. Coming to a stop, he looked to be in a rush. "Whoa... is that... Jericho?" Beast Boy asked with wide and disbelieving eyes, "Great... as if this whole situation couldn't get any more confusing." he threw his arms in the air.

"It's a long story..." said Cyborg, looking at the circle of unconscious children that surrounded them, "That's... the _army_?" he asked, having nearly forgotten about them. "How are we gonna get this many people back to the coast? We only got one ship--" Cyborg was interrupted by the deafening sound of a horn. Looking at each other in confusion, the Titans began walking to the edge of the plate to inspect the noise. What they saw, surprised them to no end. A large military vessel had approached a side of the facility, just beyond the plate's reach. The facility was close enough to the ocean now that the top of the plate could almost be seen from the ship's point of view.

"We... We received a distress signal from this location..." came a man's voice over a loudspeaker, sounding reasonably confused.

"Slade...That's what he was doing..." said Cyborg under his breath.

"Come on. I'll carry everyone over there." said Raven, pointing out toward the ship. Beast Boy and Starfire nodded. Cyborg looked over his shoulder toward the facility's entrance... Realizing he still had to get Jericho to safety, he turned to the others and nodded as well.

Reciting her mantra, Raven enveloped everyone on the plate in a bubble. As soon as they began to ascend as a whole, a loud explosion erupted from within the facility, sending a large plume of smoke out from the open doorway soon after. The facility shook wildly, beginning to sink faster. "NO!" shouted Cyborg, running up to the wall, "He was still in there... Slade was still in there." he said grudgingly. Hearing this, each Titan looked to the ground. For some reason... it seemed wrong for him to go like that...

- - - - - -

The sun had nearly set by the time everything was straightened out; the sky slowly faded from blue to a bright orange. After the events that passed, it was strange to see the sky calm and clear... Standing on the edge of the vessel, the Titans watched as the sun approached the oceanic horizon, lighting the waves on fire. The facility had since sunk deep under the sea, not a trace of its existence in sight. The ship's crew--after a lengthy explanation--was in the process of taking each and every child to the infirmary.

Still holding on to Robin, Starfire looked off at the sun, hoping that he would make it through this. Though the thought of losing him made her want to fall to her knees, for him, she would remain strong... it's what he would want. Turning her eyes away from the evening light, she looked down at Robin, the gentle rise and fall of his chest reassuring her... He was going to wake up eventually... And when he did, Starfire knew nothing could stop her from telling him the things in her heart. Taking in the fresh air, she looked back to the sea, smiling as it was a _sunset_ that signified a new day.

Standing in quiet meditation, Raven found herself stealing furtive glances at Beast Boy. So many things had changed between them... and she was glad. She was able to feel love... real love. Smirking, Raven hoped--and in some ways, knew--nothing could change _Beast Boy_, even his feelings; he would always be making the same stupid jokes, pulling the same underhanded pranks, and smiling with that ridiculous grin as he did those things... She wouldn't have it any other way. Little did she know, he was stealing glances, hoping that she would stay the same as well.

Having handed Jericho over to the ship's physicians, Cyborg looked down at the communicator on his arm, _'I'll tell him for you... I swear.' _he thought. It felt strange to mourn the loss of an enemy... though in the end, he proved to be their greatest ally. Slade saved the life of every child in that place... and yet he still believed, to the bitter end, that he couldn't change. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Beast Boy.

"Look, if we're lucky, he won't come back." he said, causing Cyborg to raise an eyebrow, "But when have we _ever _been lucky?" he smiled, getting his point across with--for once--a well placed joke. "So..." he started, looking from the unconscious Robin to the T-Sub which floated on the waves beside the ship, "I guess this means... _you're _driving?"

- - - - - -

Robin found himself awake, though his eyes refused to open. Contrasting to the darkness he had seen before, the area was lit up brightly in radiant white light. Soft winds could be heard passing through an open window... the sounds of the sea carrying in along with it. There was something else... a familiar voice speaking to him, though he could not understand the words as they seemed to be fading into earshot.

"...I must leave now." Robin could hear Starfire's beautiful voice penetrate through the blinding light like music to his ears; euphony, however this song carried words he could not stand to hear...

_'Please... don't go.' _he tried to speak, but only thoughts could escape; he attempted to move, but the darkness seemed to envelope and restrain him. _'Stay with me... Starfire...'_ he pleaded; mustering all his strength, he could feel only his fingers moving. Robin felt a soft touch on his forehead--it warmed him amidst the wintry emptiness; a kiss from an angel.

_'Starfire...'_

* * *

**Author's Note: **One final cliffhanger. Quite an evil place to leave off if I do say so myself, but the 22nd and final chapter will certainly clear this up, so don't worry. Besides, all may not be as it seems :)... I'll let you decide what that means.

On another note... THIS IS THE FREAKING LENGTHIEST THING I'VE EVER WRITTEN Oo... my school projects have nothing on this, lol. Thankfully, the next chapter will be much shorter, though that's not saying much, considering this baby was 13,000 words XD.

Anyway, on to the contents. First off, I hope you like how I had Robin snap Starfire out of it... it wasn't quite what some people were expecting "word-wise," but if Starfire read into it... she certainly could have gotten _something_ out of what he said ;).

Yes, indeed... Tyrus is Grey. I figured since some people probably already came to that conclusion... the surprise wasn't that Tyrus was Grey, but the fact that _Robin _knew the entire time. He used Tyrus (Grey) in order to get better acquainted with the man's fighting flaws... so when the time came to fight, he would be ready and able to catch the man off-guard. He didn't really want to learn just sword fighting, though that certainly did help. Grey aided Robin in his defeat without even knowing it.

Also, there were a couple little extras in there that people were wondering about. Such as how Red X, caused "some extra trouble" for The Tempest. And why Jinx was hanging out with her old friends again XD... I really liked writing that part.

As for what happened to Slade... I'll let you use your imaginations for that one :D.

One more thing, and then I'll shut up XD. Grey had used Jericho's powers to enter every child's mind and leave a message inside... this message caused them all to "see the light" and think the way of The Tempest. A bit of Jericho (if just a small psychic imprint) remained in each of them until they were finally released from the control by Raven--which is why Raven felt the strange connection to them (and eventually Starfire) after running into Iris (she was given a connection to Jericho, and thus a connection to every member of The Tempest).

**Next Chapter Preview: **In the wake of the storm, Robin is confronted by his fear. Was it simply a dream, or did Starfire really leave? "Epilogue: The Hardest Thing to Say."


	22. Epilogue: The Hardest Thing to Say

**10 Leisurely Days**

by Blue Ten

**Summary:**

Robin finds out that Starfire will be leaving for Tamaran in 10 days. Keeping his discovery a secret, he has a little over a week to give her a reason to stay. But when things keep getting in the way, will he even get the chance? RobxStar, BBxRae

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Teen Titans. However, I do own the song "As Long as We're Together."

* * *

Epilogue: The Hardest Thing To Say

Robin found himself awake, though his eyes refused to open. Contrasting to the darkness he had seen before, the area was lit up brightly in radiant white light. Soft winds could be heard passing through an open window... the sounds of the sea carrying in along with it. There was something else... a familiar voice speaking to him, though he could not understand the words as they seemed to be fading into earshot.

"...I must leave now." Robin could hear Starfire's beautiful voice penetrate through the blinding light like music to his ears; euphony, however, this song carried words he could not stand to hear...

_'Please... don't go.' _he tried to speak, but only thoughts could escape; he attempted to move, but the darkness seemed to envelope and restrain him. _'Stay with me... Starfire...'_ he pleaded; mustering all his strength, he could feel only his fingers moving. Robin felt a soft touch on his forehead--it warmed him amidst the wintry emptiness; a kiss from an angel.

_'Starfire...'_

- - - - - -

"Starfire!" Robin sat up quickly, tearing the white sheets from himself. Looking down, he saw his wounds had disappeared, the shirt of his tattered uniform replaced. Bright white light was streaming in through the windows of the infirmary at Titans Tower, washing out his vision with blearing luminosity. Nearly every object in the room was struck with a radiant glow, from the tiled floor to the bed sheets at his feet. It was quiet, soft winds whistling through the open windows, bringing in a brisk flow of air that nearly shocked Robin's system at its presence. The ocean, too, announced its bearing with a constant and subtle crashing of waves far below. From his position on the bed, though the intense light impeded his vision, Robin could see there was no one else in the room.

Robin squinted his eyes through the stinging light, "It's morning..." in horror, he looked at the rays shining through the window, "No..." he said, stepping down from the bed in a hurry. In his blind rush, Robin paid no regard to his weakened state. Before he could take even one step toward the door, his legs gave way beneath him, sending him to the ground where he collided painfully with the cold tiles. His muscles burned and his lungs seemed to sting with every breath, however no pain could compare to what his heart was feeling.

Straining himself to move, Robin stared at the door leading out of the infirmary; it was but a few feet away, though it might as well have been on the other side of the world. "Get up!" he yelled out loud, causing his pulse to quicken Clenching his fists, Robin forced his body to comply, lifting himself with unsteady arms. Standing up, he ran as fast as he could to the door, looking as though he could trip and fall as he awkwardly moved along. With a thud, Robin came in contact with the door, resting against it for a moment as he drew shallow breaths. Shaking his head, Robin hastily slid the door open, staring into the hall as it became lit up by the sunlight. He had to be sure... what he heard may have been a dream... but he had to know. In his state, Robin found it difficult to remember his way around. After a few seconds of contemplation, he looked down the corridor to his left.

Bolting down the hallway, he passed several doors, coming to a halt as he found his way to Starfire's room; at the loss of his strength, he collapsed against her door. Gripping the handle, he slid the door open, focusing his blurry vision inside... The intense morning light created a glow across the floor where it found its way under the closed purple curtains lining one wall. The circular bed near to the windows looked untouched, its covers tucked securely under the mattress, its pillows positioned uniformly at the top... Empty; all of her things were still in the same place, looking like Starfire hadn't even been to her room. Robin closed his eyes, cursing his inability to think... of course she wasn't in her room, she was always awake by this time. But it was that fact that had him worried... had she left already, or was he simply imagining things? One more place to check.

Turning around, Robin stepped into the hall, finding himself too diminished to run any more... though that didn't seem to stop him. Moving as fast as possible, he made his way back through the halls, resting one hand on a wall for support. As the bright light from the living room crept into his sight from around the corner, Robin sped up, hearing several voices speaking. Stopping at the corner, Robin carefully looked around, feeling like the last thing he wanted to do was alert the others. In the center of the living room were two long couches which faced each other; Cyborg sat on one side of the living room, across from Beast Boy and Raven--who were positioned oddly close to each other on the same sofa... Though it caused an eyebrow to rise, Robin paid it no mind, deciding to listen in from where he was.

- - - - - -

"Well... I figured Robin wanted me to find out why Slade was really there, so I followed him to that big computer room... I never thought I'd actually find out." Cyborg looked to the ground as he spoke, his mind recalling the events with disquieted thought. "There was a lot of weird stuff there... We found out what changed all those kids... some kinda mutation caused by this chemical. But, that wasn't the least of it." Cyborg explained, looking up for a moment before he would tell his friends something he was sure would shock them, "There was a kid in there, held in some weird containment... Jericho."

Beast Boy's eyes widened, remembering the boy he fought alongside to defeat the brotherhood, "That's why you were carrying him out of there... You think they were trying to make him... _one of them_ too?" he asked.

"No..." Cyborg responded, shaking his head, "Actually, he was the one kid they couldn't... They used him to create that army." he explained, looking across to gauge his friends' reactions. Raven's eyes widened upon the realization, now understanding why she had a connection with every member of that group. Beast Boy simply nodded with a stern face, leading Cyborg to wonder if he even understood.

"So, they used Jericho's powers to brainwash all those kids into mindless zombies?" questioned Beast Boy, his face contorting into a strange shocked expression.

"Uh... Yeah." Cyborg replied, sounding more surprised than Beast Boy.

"So why was Slade there?" Raven added, getting over her own surprise at Beast Boy's insight.

"Well... this part's still hard for me to believe..." Cyborg looked to the window for a moment. "You remember Slade's face right?" he asked, waiting for Beast Boy and Raven's positive responses, "When we found Jericho... I noticed he and Slade had a lot in common... and then it hit me. That's why Slade was so determined to get to that place... that's why he helped us... He wanted to find his son." he finally explained. Feeling like that was a lot to take in, Beast Boy and Raven--with minds obviously struck by deep thought--simply waited for Cyborg to continue. "We ran into some trouble, and Slade... couldn't make it. So I carried Jericho out of there... Slade wanted me to tell Jericho something... that he was sorry."

"...Did you?" Raven asked simply, still attempting to mull over the fact that Slade was there for unselfish reasons.

"Yeah... I contacted him that night over his communicator. I explained everything and I'm pretty sure he understood it... but he's not exactly a talker." Cyborg explained.

"Don't worry, I'm sure he got it." Beast Boy gave Cyborg a reassuring smile, "Hey, where's Starfire? I'm sure she'd want to hear this. And Robin too... y'know... when he wakes up."

"Star never left the infirmary. I went to check up on Robin a couple minutes ago and she was sleeping right there at the side of his bed. I don't think we should wake 'em up just yet." he stated. Beast Boy and Raven showed their agreement by nodding.

After a moment of silence, Cyborg spoke up again, "What I'm worried about is those kids... You remember what Grey said, right? That they were forgotten... war orphans. And now they're gonna get thrown right back into the world... and the worst part is, the guy was right... If the world didn't accept them before, how are they gonna live now?" he asked, looking to the floor.

"Look, if the world wasn't accepting of people like that... _we_ wouldn't be around. In a way, Grey was right, he did give them strength. And if they use that strength as we have, there's nothing to worry about. Potentially, they're better off than before." Raven explained, giving Cyborg pause. "Besides, they'll be alright if they take a page from Beast Boy's book. If you can't fit in, stand out." she spoke in her usual monotone, turning to Beast Boy with a smirk.

"Hey--" Beast Boy started, about to protest. However, he stopped as Raven grabbed his arm and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Can't you take a joke?" asked Raven.

"Okay!" Cyborg quickly stood up, looking repeatedly from Beast Boy to Raven, "I've been shruggin' it off until now, but I just gotta know. What is this?" he asked, walking in front of them, crossing his arms with a sternly perplexed expression.

"What is what?" Beast Boy asked in response, looking clueless. Raven simply shared his look.

Without moving anywhere, Cyborg seemed as though he was about to trip over himself, his human eye twitching excessively. Cyborg's arms moved about wildly for a moment before he pointed them both at Beast Boy and Raven, "THIS!" he shouted.

"What're you talking about?" Beast Boy raised an eyebrow, looking to Raven for clarification. Raven shrugged, still holding on to his arm.

After muttering random words, Cyborg slapped a hand against his face, "...I need a glass of water." he said in defeat, slowly walking away to the kitchen. As soon as Cyborg was out of earshot, Beast Boy burst into a fit of restrained chuckles.

Letting go of Beast Boy's arm, Raven smirked at him, "Okay, I'll admit... that was kind of fun."

"So, who should we freak out next?"

- - - - - -

Robin stepped away from the corner, _'A few minutes ago?' _he thought. _'There's still time... but where would she...' _he looked down the hall, _'The roof!' _it suddenly hit him. Where else would they come to get her? Robin felt his breath catch in his throat as he attempted to run; his muscles immediately burned, causing him to slow down. Robin knew he had lost a lot of blood, and his body obviously hadn't fully recovered from that. Still... there was no time to waste. Starfire could quite possibly be making her way up the stairs at this very moment. Gritting his teeth through the severe weakness his body was feeling, Robin held on to a wall, hastily finding his way through the stretch of corridor.

As soon as he saw the threshold to the stairway, Robin forgot about his pain and fatigue, racing against time to meet his destination. Reaching the steps, he ran up as many as he could. With his weakness catching up to him, Robin tripped over a step, grabbing the railing before he could tumble back down the stairs. Holding on to the railing, he forced himself to climb the stairs with the very last remnants of strength within him. Keeping his eyes on the door to the roof, he scaled the stairway, hoping that he was not too late. Reaching the top, Robin threw his weight against the door, using his momentum to open it. Radiant light and swift warm winds rushed through the open doorway. Shielding his eyes from the light, Robin walked out onto the roof, unsure of what was in front of him.

As his eyes adjusted to the light, Robin moved his arms away from his eyes, revealing the empty rooftop to himself. The bright orange morning sky above the sea was decorated by tall and pillowy clouds. Each enormous body reflected the dazzling light of earth's star, looking to the world like towers of brilliant white fire in the sky. The ocean, too, was affected by the light, each wave on the tangerine waters sparkling as it reached its height, rolling softly across the bay; a million pinpoints of light dancing across the horizon. Suddenly, something far off in the distance caught Robin's eye. Running to the edge of the roof, he examined the sky. A relatively small dark object was ascending into the clouds... was it merely his imagination? _'I'm too late...'_ he thought, falling to his knees in defeat.

Robin felt something welling up in his eyes, something he had been holding back his entire life. Looking down at the rooftop through increasingly blurred vision, Robin slammed his fist against it, "No!" he shouted. He only ever wanted her to be happy... and if this is what made her happy, then he knew he shouldn't have a problem with it... but he did. During that moment out at sea, he realized that he shouldn't have been trying to keep her on earth... but now, he wondered why he couldn't have been selfish... just this once. Why did the morning have to be so beautiful? It was painfully ironic... those three words he had been so afraid of, those three words he never got the chance to speak, proved nothing in comparison to that one single word... The hardest thing to say was not _'I love you'_... but _'goodbye.' _And now... he had missed his chance to say either.

Robin looked up to the sky, the sun causing even more pain to his eyes, "I won't stop you... if this is what you really want. But... I just wish I could have told you..." he spoke, closing his eyes slightly, "For as long as I've known you... and as long as I'm alive... I have and will always--"

"Robin, you should be resting... what are you doing up here? And... whoever are you speaking to?"

Catching his breath in his throat, Robin stood up, slowly turning around. Standing there, glowing like an angel in the radiant light of the morning sun, Starfire looked perplexed and worried. The mild winds that swept slowly across the rooftop picked up her hair, causing parts of it to drift in front of her eyes. As she awaited Robin's answer, Starfire lifted up a hand and gently brushed away the free strands of hair.

"I--" having stood up too fast, Robin felt dizzy... for more than just the one reason, he was sure. Losing control of his legs, he drifted back, feeling the ground disappear from beneath him.

"Robin!" shouted Starfire, immediately jumping forward and taking hold of his hand. Pulling Robin back to the roof, she looked him in his dazed eyes, "Why have you--" she stopped, immediately feeling herself embraced tightly. Her eyes widened for a moment as she attempted to contemplate what was happening. Was _Robin _hugging _her?_

"Star... I thought you... I mean, weren't you... You're not leaving?" Robin asked as he held on to her, feeling like some lost child.

"...Of course not. I could not leave you alone in your condition." she answered, still trying to understand what was making Robin act this way. She certainly wasn't fighting it... but it almost scared her.

Robin felt his neck tensing up, "You're staying because of me...?" he questioned, feeling immensely guilty. His condition had caused her to remain on earth... it was touching, but he didn't want it to happen that way. "Star, you can't stay because of that... I mean--"

"Yes I can. You are far more important to me than some foolish celebration." she defended her actions, hugging Robin in return.

Robin swallowed hard, "...Celebration?" he queried shakily, "I thought..."

"The Tamaranian celebration of the alignment of planets in the Vegan star system. It does not happen more than twice in a person's lifetime... but I could not care less about such a thing. I came up here to tell them I could not go..." Starfire explained, too shocked by Robin's peculiar gesture to wonder how he knew about those things.

"But... Galfore said we would be disappointed when you leave... didn't that mean--"

"Hm...?" Starfire squinted her eyes, thinking back to her conversation with Galfore, "Tamaranian law forbids outsiders from attending the celebration... I wanted to invite everyone... but it was simply not allowed. Galfore knew this, and so advised me to keep it a secret... for your sake. I thought that since it was merely a short celebration and he wanted me to attend... I could leave and come back without notice and..." Starfire trailed off, Robin's embrace no longer keeping certain things from her attention. Pulling away, she looked Robin in the eyes with a bewildered expression, "How do you know these things?" she questioned.

Feeling the blood rushing to his face from embarrassment, Robin managed a nervous grin, "I... I kind of... heard it through your door." he explained, suddenly cutting back in to say something, "I wasn't eavesdropping--I just... from what I heard, it sounded like you..."

"You were not... _dropping eaves_?" Starfire raised an eyebrow. Forgetting about that confusing word, a sunny look spread over her face, "All this time you believed I was..." quickly, the smile disappeared, replaced by a wounded expression. Starfire released Robin from her arms and stepped away as reality suddenly hit her like a frigid stone wall, "These days... all the time we spent together... the things you said..." she shook her head, looking and sounding genuinely hurt, "You were simply doing those things because you thought I was going to leave?" she asked, her eyes glistening.

"Star... I..." Robin didn't know what to say. She was right...

"I am sorry..." Starfire turned around, beginning to walk back to the door, "I wish to be alone now." she finished, her voice cracking as she made her way back through the doorway _on foot_, disappearing from Robin's sight.

Closing his eyes with pure disgust for himself, Robin turned his face to the ground as he listened to Starfire's footsteps retreating back into the tower. She was right... all that time, he was simply trying to keep her from leaving. There was one thing she didn't know, but Robin felt that now, as his bluntly selfish acts finally confronted him... he didn't deserve to tell her. Was it that he didn't trust her? Is that why he thought she would leave? Robin began to tear himself apart with these questions...

After several moments standing alone on the roof, Robin looked across to the stairs. Taking one step forward, he realized that Starfire wasn't going to leave... she never was. And now, though she would remain, he knew he had truly lost her. Everything... shattered in an instant because of his mistrust... his lack of faith in her. _'What kind of person am I?' _he asked himself bitterly, finally making his way to the stairway.

- - - - - -

As Robin turned the corner to the common room, he heard confused and disquieted voices speaking. Slowing his walk as he stepped down into the living room, Robin was met by the vengeful stares of Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven. Swallowing a lump in his throat as though he was in trouble, Robin stood and waited for what appeared to be an impending verbal bashing.

"Oh no you didn't." Cyborg crossed his arms, staring sternly at Robin.

"Jeez... What did you say to her?" Beast Boy asked, looking more confused than angry, though both emotions were clearly visible in his expression. "She wouldn't even say anything... just stormed off to her room." he added, pointing to the hallway.

"Whatever you did, go and apologize for it." Raven, obviously the most adamant, spoke in a low and threatening monotone.

"An apology won't cut it..." Robin looked to the ground, avoiding the daggers being shot his way, "There's no forgiving what I did." he said.

"Mind telling us what that was?" Cyborg asked seriously, now wondering what Robin could have possibly done.

Robin let out a breath... there was no point in keeping it a secret any longer. "A while ago, I heard Starfire talking about going back to her planet. I... well, I didn't want her to leave..." he trailed off, looking up for a moment as each Titan in front of him raised their eyebrows simultaneously. "Over the last ten days... I've been doing things... trying to convince her to stay." he explained. The more he talked about it, the worse it sounded to him. "I found out she wasn't really leaving... and she found out what I was doing." he looked up to see his friends wearing unreadable expressions. "It's wrong... I know. I should have just talked to her about it, but I didn't." Robin turned away, "I'm an idiot." he finished, hearing footsteps approaching him from behind.

"Yeah, you are." came Beast Boy's voice, standing right behind Robin, "Believe me, I know a little something about that." he added. "But you know what idiots do?" he asked as Robin turned around to face him, "They make mistakes, and those can be made up for."

"Look... Beast Boy, guys... I don't think she even wants to hear from me right now." Robin retorted, imagining how much he must have hurt her... keeping it from her was as bad as lying.

"So that's it. You're just gonna give up?" one of Beast Boy's eyes began twitching, "Do you have any idea how hard we've been working on this?" he questioned loudly. As soon as he realized what he said, Beast Boy quickly slapped his hands over his mouth and backed away to a position between Cyborg and Raven.

"Thanks for that." Raven looked to her side at the sheepish changeling, "For a while there I was afraid you had control over your brain." she stated flatly. Hands still over his mouth, Beast Boy simply slumped forward in defeat.

"_That's _what you were doing?" Robin suddenly turned the daggers back on his friends. After a moment, his expression softened, "So, you all know about... that?" he asked, feeling as though his mask had suddenly been torn off.

"We'd have to blind AND deaf not to." Cyborg cut in, smirking a little at Robin. "But, man, that's why we can't stand to see this happen. You two are... well, you just shouldn't let a little misunderstanding get in your way." he said, pointing to Robin. "You should talk to her. It's probably a lot different than you think." with that, he took hold of Beast Boy and Raven's shoulders, forcefully leading them back to the couches thereafter.

Taking a serious expression as the others walked away, Robin opened a compartment on his belt, pulling out a reflective silver and blue object and bringing it into his view. "I will..." he said out loud.

- - - - - -

Sitting on the side of the couch opposite Cyborg, Beast Boy watched as the evening news began to play on the large television screen. The top story of the night was the discovery of all the money that had been stolen in the past few months during the 'invisible burglaries.' Found in an abandoned warehouse near the docks, every last dollar of the money was left as though no one intended to return for it. Seeing this, Beast Boy realized that those two kids they fought on that day must have been members... possibly voluntary recruits, seeing as how they were from the city... and stealing the money was some sort of entrance exam. The Tempest wouldn't have had any use for money... so it only made sense that they would leave it like that. Beast Boy shook his head, not wanting to think about that whole situation any longer; save for one uncertainty, they had all made it out alive and well, but most importantly... Turning away from the screen, Beast Boy looked over to the windows. Levitating with her eyes closed--wearing her regular blue cloak with its hood down--Raven meditated by the glass which looked out upon the ending day. The stars were beginning to show themselves, fading into view amidst the clear twilight sky as the sun continued to sink behind the ocean. Smiling, Beast Boy stood up and began walking in Raven's direction.

Raven took in a deep breath, "Azarath. Metrion. Zi--"

"Raven." came Beast Boy's unsure voice. Raven squinted her eyes open to see Beast Boy standing in front of her, tapping his index fingers together nervously.

To Beast Boy's surprise, Raven stopped her chant and turned to him with a subtle smile on her face, "What is it?" she asked in an almost sweet voice, her monotone still present.

"We haven't really gotten a chance to talk since, y'know... and I just wanted to--" Beast Boy stopped himself, turning to look at Cyborg. As though he didn't know what was going on, Cyborg simply stared at the television for a few moments.

Human eye widening as he saw Beast Boy from the corner of his vision, Cyborg grabbed the remote and speedily stood up, "Uh... I think the T-Car's about due for a tune-up." he spoke quickly. Turning off the television, Cyborg tossed the remote back on the couch, walking past Beast Boy to the hall. As soon as he came close enough to Beast Boy, Cyborg grinned evilly, "Go for it Casanova." he whispered, chuckling to himself as he continued on his way.

"Uh... heh, yeah." Beast Boy nervously tugged at his collar. "Anyway... I just wanted to tell you some stuff I've been thinking about." he said, sitting down beside Raven near the window.

"What is this all of a sudden?" Raven raised an eyebrow as she lowered herself to the ground and sat facing Beast Boy.

"Well, I figured since Robin is about to spill his guts to Star and everything... I should spill my guts too." he grinned, attempting to mask his anxiousness.

"Alright..." Raven furrowed her brow, almost afraid of having this kind of discussion with Beast Boy. But it was fear that held her back from feeling love; keeping this in mind, she decided to listen to whatever Beast Boy had to say, though she hoped it wasn't too serious. _'Please throw in a joke or something...' _she thought.

Suddenly, Beast Boy took hold of Raven's hands. Surprised, Raven blushed bright red, frozen in place with a blank look on her face. "Promise me something..." he started, unsure of what to think from Raven's shocked expression, "Promise me you'll never change." he said, a serious look in his eyes.

"What?"

"Raven, I... I like you because of the way you are. And as much as things have to change, I don't want too much to change between us..." letting his speech trail off, Beast Boy allowed a mischievous grin to spread across his face, "Other than the occasional make-out sessions, of course." he joked, his grin now in full shine.

Blush disappearing from her face, Raven looked at Beast Boy through narrowed eyes, "Okay. First, if you ever call it that again, there won't be any. And second," leaning forward, Raven trapped Beast Boy in a rather strong embrace, "I won't change if you won't." she finished.

"But, isn't _change _kinda my job?" Beast Boy asked jokingly.

"Shut up."

- - - - - -

Unable to find Starfire anywhere else in the tower, Robin knew of only one place she could possibly be. Standing in front of the door to the roof, he took in a deep breath through his nose, letting it out in an unintentional sigh. Forgetting to breathe again, Robin took hold of the handle, turned it, and slowly pushed against the door. A strong whistling wind poured in through the increasing gap until the pressure finally equalized, allowing the door to be pushed open all the way. With the doorway open, the sounds of the outside world became present--from the soft summer breeze that swept gently across the flat rooftop, to the far off rumble of waves crashing effervescently against the island. Seeing the sky, Robin was reminded of the night he and Starfire spent simply gazing at the stars; they were just as beautiful this night, their otherworldly glow spread across the heavens in a brilliant sparkling banner. Looking away from the sky, Robin saw an unmistakable figure sitting on the edge of the roof, facing the ocean which caught the stars' light upon every gliding wave.

_'Is she looking at the sky or the ocean?' _he wondered, stepping out of the doorway. Slightly hesitant, Robin tried to keep his footsteps quiet... but Starfire was far more perceptive than that; he was sure she had already noticed him. As soon as he came close, this became apparent.

"...Please go." Starfire turned her head away as Robin approached the edge by her side. Hugging her knees close to herself, Starfire wondered what she was saying... it was times like these when she craved his presence. She loved to hear that voice he used only when they were alone.

"Star. I want to talk about this..." Robin moved closer, massaging the back of his neck, "There's something you don't know..."

"Robin, do you know who I am angry with?" Starfire asked, still looking away. Robin remained silent, sure that Starfire would answer the question... he knew the answer, after all. "I am angry with _myself_."

Robin pulled his head back in surprise, "...What do you mean?" he asked, sitting down at the edge of the roof beside her. He attempted to look at Starfire's face, but she continued to avoid his gaze. "I'm the one who--"

"You did nothing wrong." she answered, her voice sounding thick with regret. "Truthfully, I am touched that you would do those things..." she spoke, turning her head to look out at the ocean. From his point of view, Robin could see the sadness in her eyes; it made his heart sink. "I am the one at fault. I was being... what is the word? ...Selfish." she looked down at the shore.

"But--"

"It is true." Starfire took in a deep breath. "Throughout these past days... I believed you were doing these things simply out of... um... _friendship_. And I wanted to spend more and more time with you because of this. I was selfish. To know it happened because I kept the celebration from you... which made you believe I was leaving... it is worse." she explained. "I thought that perhaps you had... that you..." Starfire closed her eyes, "It does not matter now. I was fooling myself."

Robin reached out, placing a gentle hand on Starfire's shoulder, "Star... I thought about all the time we spent together because of this whole situation. I thought about everything I did..." his expression brightened as Starfire turned to face him, "And I'm not sorry... for any of it." he finished.

Starfire's eyes widened inquisitively, "Robin?" she wondered what he meant.

"If I could do this all again... I'd do it just the same way." he smiled slightly, before letting his expression become serious again. "I'd been taking you for granted... It took the thought of losing you to finally make me realize just what you mean to me."

_'...Robin?' _thought Starfire, feeling her heartbeat intensifying.

"I won't take it back... none of it." Robin shook his head to illustrate the point. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me... and all the time I've known you, I was too stupid to realize it. I'm glad I told you the things I did, that I lived those days for you... And Star, if you'll let me, I want to spend the rest of my life doing the same thing. Even if it started because of a misunderstanding... I've learned just how much I..." Robin swallowed hard, "How much I love you." he whispered, surprised to find his voice so weak.

Starfire could feel her teeth chattering from the shivers that ran through her body. She trembled in place, her heart racing faster than ever. "W-What... did you say?" she asked, hoping it wasn't simply the sound of her heart that made her hear it.

Reaching out, Robin took hold of Starfire's hands, "I love you." he spoke louder, knowing there was no turning back... knowing he didn't want to turn back. "Even if you don't feel the same way, I--" Robin stopped, feeling his back collide lightly with the roof. Opening his eyes after the slight shock, Robin found that Starfire had leapt at him, locking him in a tight hug, causing him to fall back against the roof. She lay on top of him now, shivering slightly with quick breaths. Realizing their position, Robin's face went completely red. Thankfully it was at that moment Starfire decided to pull both of them up to their knees.

"You truly mean that?" she asked, sounding overwhelmed with emotion.

"I've never been more sure of anything." he responded, wondering what this meant... Did she...

"I thought that I would be keeping this inside forever... that I would not find the courage to tell you." Starfire rested the side of her head against his as they both stood up fully. "Robin... I feel the same way... It was more than I could handle at times. Like pain and happiness at once. But you have taken away that pain... all that remains is happiness. It is the emotion you call... love. And I feel it for you... as I always have." without warning, Starfire began to float away from the ground. Realizing what she was doing, Starfire kept hold of Robin and pulled herself back to the roof, "I am sorry." she giggled. Pulling away, she revealed her eyes which glistened with joy. "We have both been so foolish." she smiled, "I wish to start anew..." she finished.

Looking down to his belt, Robin removed something from it. Bringing the object into both of their views, Robin held the sparkling silver necklace up, "Why don't we make that wish together?" he asked. Understanding his point, Starfire held the necklace between Robin's hand and hers. Giving each other knowing smiles, they began to swing their hands from one direction to the other. Finally, after a few moments, both released their grip on the necklace, watching as the sapphire--adorned by the silver chain--sparkled brightly in the starlight while it soared away from the tower. The jewel made a tiny splash as it hit the water below, sinking away from view thereafter.

Turning her face away from the ocean to Robin, Starfire gave him a peculiar smile, "There is something I did when we first met... something I have been wanting to make amends for."

Robin blushed, wondering if it was what he thought it was. "What is--" Robin stopped as Starfire wrapped her arms over his shoulders, pulling him closer to her. Giving no time to be interrupted, they leaned in, letting their lips and hearts finally meet. Both closed their eyes as they found themselves locked in a sweet but passionate kiss, their closeness to one another finding a way to warm them inside and out. The world, as it did whenever they were together, faded away into a dreamy haze. It was the middle of the night, but the sun was surely shining where they were. After savoring the moment for what seemed like too short a time, Robin and Starfire slowly pulled away from each other, keeping their faces close together.

Starfire leaned in, resting her forehead against Robin's, "That was merely _one _of my wishes."

_**I always feel so foolish, as I look back on that day.**_  
_**Oh, the time I thought could be too late, and the words I just refused to say.**_  
_**But there's something that I should have known, something that you made me see.**_  
_**Just as long as we're together, from the fear my heart can be set free.**_

_**I never talked about it, and I thought that you should know.**_  
_**There's a feeling inside that I just can't ignore, and the feeling only seems to grow.**_  
_**And if you take my hand, I know I'll fly with you forever.**_  
_**Oh, our hearts will beat as one, just as long as we're together.**_

_**I know there's nothing that could tear us apart. And I know you know you know it's true.**_  
_**Just as long as you'll always be there, there's no darkness that we can't see through.**_  
_**So come and take my hand now, 'cause I know I wanna fly with you.**_

_**My thoughts they dwell on those lonely times, when I felt too scared to even try.**_  
_**But when the light you bring shines through it all, you brighten up my darkened sky.**_  
_**I'd have it no other way, that there's nothing I can do.**_  
_**As long as we're together, there's just no escaping you.**_

_**You fill my life with laughter, and you take away all my pain.**_  
_**From the day that we met, to the end of our time, I know it's gonna stay the same.**_  
_**All the moments that we've shared, oh, every sweet surrender.**_  
_**There are things in life we can only see, when we're both together.**_

_**I know there's nothing that could tear us apart. And I know you know you know it's true.**_  
_**Just as long as you'll always be there, there's no challenge I can't make it through.**_  
_**So come and take my hand now, 'cause I know I wanna stay with you.**_

-THE END -

For Kate

Thanks for being a great friend.

- - - -

For Patricia

You helped make this story possible.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Phew. Finally finished, and a little ahead of schedule too (I had delayed it to the 26th). I hope you liked the ending. I tried my best to make it special, avoiding the cliches I stuck to in the past.

Yes, that is what Starfire was talking about with Galfore at the very beginning. I tried to make it a similar situation to Robin's; Starfire couldn't bring her friends to the celebration, so she decided to hide it instead, thinking they couldn't be disappointed if they never knew. Of course, in the end, both Robin and Starfire realized how foolish they both had been.

I made sure not to leave Beast Boy and Raven out of everything, so I gave them a scene just before the ending. I liked how that one turned out, especially Raven's last line in the fic XD.

As for Robin and Starfire's scene, I tried to do something different with the necklace. Seeing as how it was a symbol of the whole misunderstanding, I had Robin and Starfire toss it away into the ocean XD, using it as a way to show that they were "starting anew."

I'm sure by now you've realized a loose end in the whole Tempest deal. Mr. Iron is still very much under the control, as well as Cloak and Dagger. This was intentional. I'm leaving the door open for a Cyborg-centric spinoff. There'll still be plenty of RobxStar and BBxRae in it, but Cyborg will play a much bigger role.

Oh, and concerning the song at the end. I know I can't stop anyone who does, but if you want to use the song (why would you? XD), please just ask me. It's a little short, but I actually wrote it--and I didn't plagiarize the tune or anything :). So, if for some weird reason you want to use it, just give me credit--you don't even have to ask, just give credit XD.

Finally, thank you all so much for your support over the past half-year or so. I'll be periodically updating my reviewer appreciation thread in the forums just to let you know how much you reviewers helped. This fic has definitely been my best experience on this site, and I look forward to bringing you guys another story in the future. Seriously, this has been a learning experience for me. I know I've still got a ways to go, but I've really learned a lot about writing since my first fic.

**Next Story Preview: **It's a secret. -evil laugh- I will definitely be back to write another story eventually, but I really want to work out all the details with this next one before I post, so it could be a while. I'll give a little hint though; it may take place in a setting you've never read from me before :). And no, it's not the Cyborg spinoff


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